


Bikers and Bright Eyes

by NotEvenCloseToStraight



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alpha Bucky Barnes, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, And Tony being Smol, Bucky Barnes's Metal Arm, Clothed Sex, Coming In Pants, Dirty Dancing, Dorks in Love, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fanged!Bucky Barnes, Fem!Aesthetic Tony, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Mush, Growling, Happily Ever After, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Hurt Tony Stark, Knotting, Listen this barely has a plot, M/M, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Motorcycle Sex, Motorcycles, Mutual Pining, Omega Tony Stark, Protective Bucky Barnes, Semi-Public Sex, Shameless Bucky Barnes, Shy Tony Stark, Size Difference, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Ty is an Asshole, fangs, just boys in love, winteriron
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:42:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 47,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27463621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotEvenCloseToStraight/pseuds/NotEvenCloseToStraight
Summary: Omega!Tony is flirty, sweet, ridiculously pretty and running from his ex.Alpha!Bucky is beefy, fang-y, unfairly muscled and the perfect guy to scare away any unwanted suitors.Tony bats his eye lashes and asks the big bad Alpha to fake-date him to keep Ty away.Bucky takes one look at the Omega’s smile and a quick peek at Tony’s badonkadonk and immediately says yes.Fake dates, kisses for the camera, strategically torn clothing and meeting the parents, oh my.Who could have predicted the growly biker Alpha would fall head over heels for a cashmere and glitter wearing bright eyed Omega?(Hint: Literally the entire world)(Literally. The entire world.)(Who needs 2020′s bullshit when we have fluffy, plotless romance?)
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Comments: 318
Kudos: 1731





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I will fully admit there is like, .025 ounces of plot in this entire thing. It's just Winteriron being sappy and smooshy and sexy. Tol "Bronco" and Smol Tony and a gross amount of "Sweet thing" and "sugar" and "babydoll" and Tony blushes every time Bucky breathes and....and... yeah, that's about it. 
> 
> Enjoy!

The music in the bar was _thumping_ , the bass vibrating across the ground and shaking through the core of the dancers packed side to side out out on the dance floor. It was the sort of music meant for moving, for getting close, for grinding up against someone pretty and hoping they thought you were pretty too.

Problem was, it wasn’t _good_ music tonight. There was the slow grinding, body rocking music the bar usually played on a Saturday night and then there was this crap-- poppy and high pitched, techno-y and obnoxious, radio friendly and meant to be sang along to with friends, with lyrics stolen for over used tattoos and cliché online profile bios. It was teeny bopper music, and not even the rumbling bass courtesy of massive mounted speakers could save it.

Nope, not good music at all and even worse, there wasn't even a good _crowd_ in the bar tonight. The new owners of the place were on some theme-night, dance off bullshit meant to bring in college kids and residents of the newest high rise apartments down the way, which meant the usual biker-and-blue-collar-crowd had been shuffled out of the way in favor of new money. _Different_ money. _Upper class_ money. The sort of money Bucky and his pals never spent, and frankly couldn't afford to spend.

 _Fuckin' dumb._ Even the _drinks_ were different tonight, neon and fruity and topped with sugar and Bucky scowled through the ruckus of expensive perfume and high pitched laughter as yet another fancy Omega shouted for _shots_ , then sipped at some cotton candy flavored monstrosity and giggled about how it burned their nose.

Nah tonight was a far cry from the normal after work crowd and Bucky had had _enough_. 

“Fuckin’ hell.” the Alpha tipped back the rest of his whiskey and grimaced when some neon drink drunk Beta stumbled and nearly fell past him. “Time to get outta here.” 

Bucky picked up his phone to text Natasha and tell the other Alpha that he was leaving, that she could keep grinding on college kids all she wanted but he was fuckin' outta here, but before he could even hit send, the cutest Omega Bucky had ever seen in his life walked right up to his bar stool and whispered--

“--excuse me?” 

Bucky sat back like his legs had been cut off at the knees, thunked down onto his stool again and stared because _holy hell_ was the Omega pretty, all long legs and Bambi eyes and _oh god_ that little twirly skirt was going to be the death of him, Bucky just _knew_ it.

“Um.” the Alpha croaked. “Uh what-- what’s up, Omega?” 

“This is so awkward.” The Omega had no business having lashes quite that thick or quite that long, _how was it even_ _fair_? “But my ex is here and he's kind of a jerk. I don’t want to talk to him, so I was hoping-- um, I was hoping maybe you could pretend to be with me so he leaves me alone...?”

“Um.” Bucky wasn’t the sort of Alpha who ever found himself speechless but he was sure as hell speechless right now, struck absolutely stupid by fluttery lashes and the tiniest bit of glitter along the sweetest lips in the whole damn world. “I uh-- holy shit--” 

“Tony!” A loud voice cut into the moment and the little Omega jumped, vanilla and rose scent tinging with sudden fear. “ _Tony_! There you are! Where have you been hiding all night, come have a drink with me!”

Looking back at this moment from sometime in the future, Bucky would insist it was the _fear_ scent in the air that made him grab the Omega up close. He would promise it was _platonic_ protectiveness that had him growling at the other Alpha, he would swear on a stack of all things holy that everything he did in the next few minutes was fully necessary to protect the vulnerable Omega from the big bad ex boyfriend--

\--and everyone who heard the story would know that nothing about _anything_ was necessary, that Bucky had been a smitten Alpha who couldn’t tell a pretty Omega _no_ , and that this particular moment had been only the first of about a million where Bucky jumped to do whatever the Omega wanted.

Looking back, Bucky would _swear_ he acted only out of necessity but for right now, the Omega's scent was turning sour and anxious so Bucky reached out and wound his arm around that teeny tiny waist, dragged the Omega back up against his chest, then curled his lip and bared his teeth at the approaching Alpha in a clear warning to _stay away_.

“Oh.” The intruder was a posh prick, all khaki suit and polished shoes, fancy watch on his wrist and a tie pin-- _who wore a tie pin to a bar?_ \-- and he stopped right in his tracks when he caught a glimpse of Bucky’s fangs. “Oh look at that. Tony, are you hooking up with bar trash now?” 

The Omega _Tony_ went ramrod stiff in Bucky’s arms and he rumbled low under his breath, turned his nose into the curve of Tony’s neck and hummed until the Omega made a shocked little sound and sagged back into him. 

“That’s right, sugar.” Bucky could feel the heat of Tony’s blush beneath his lips as he brushed a kiss over the Omega’s cheek and whispered. “You just hold right on t’me and we’ll get through this, yeah?” 

Slender fingers dug into his thigh in response and the Alpha hissed a breath through his teeth as he tried-- and failed-- to get his dick to behave in his jeans.

This was an Omega who needed some help, someone vulnerable who needed protection and now was _not_ the time to be getting horny over a vanilla rose scent and the sort of satiny sweet skin that could put an Alpha in his grave. 

_Nope, not the time._

But then ex-boyfriend made the mistake of sneering at Bucky, of apparently dismissing the danger an Alpha of Bucky's size might present and deciding instead to leer at the Omega like Tony was nothing more than a piece of meat. “Come along, Tony. You didn't come out to the bar in a skirt that short to play around with a brute like that. Come here and I'll buy a drink, we'll make up and move on. Come on.”

Tony's throat clicked as he swallowed, his fingers tightened at Bucky's leg pleadingly and sudden possessiveness roared hot and angry in Bucky's chest.

No fuckin' way that Alpha was getting anywhere near Tony, _nuh uh_ , not today, not on Bucky's watch.

“C’mere, baby doll.” he drawled, soft and easy and _pointed_ as he let his eyes flicker red at the other Alpha. “Eyes on me, you don’t need t’be looking at this jerk. He doesn’t matter, c’mere. You wanna get a drink, I'm buyin' all your drinks tonight, c'mere.”

The Omega turned in his arms and obediently hid his face in Bucky’s shoulder, a sliver of _arousal_ brightening beneath the nervous scent and it took every single bit of the Alpha’s rapidly diminishing self control not to throw back his head and _howl_ in victory.

Apparently Bucky wasn’t the _only_ one affected by being so close together, but he had to keep it together cos him and this Omega were pretending, it was just for a minute, just long enough to get Tony away from the ex boyfriend and safely on his way.

_Keep it together, Bronco_ _._

“You need something?” Bucky challenged when Khaki Man didn't look away, eyebrows raised and fangs on full display, right hand spread protectively over the small of Tony’s back and left palm resting on his thigh in a position meant to flex his arms and show off his size. Bucky wasn’t a small Alpha by any means, and he didn’t like how Tony was starting to tremble against him so he layered a little more growl into the words and damn near snarled, “I _said_ , do you need something?”

“No, I suppose I don’t.” the other Alpha pursed his lips in clear irritation but didn’t push the issue, so Bucky gave the guy his _most_ self satisfied grin until Khaki Man turned around on ridiculously polished shoes and disappeared back into the crowd. 

“All done, sweetheart.” The endearment came a little too easy to the tip of Bucky’s tongue and he didn’t let himself wonder _why_. “He's gone, you okay now?”

“Do you mean, am I okay other than feeling like an absolute coward?” Tony stepped out from between Bucky's knees and tugged awkwardly at his shirt sleeves, hunched his shoulders and ducked his head. “I’m fine, thank you. And thank you for helping me. That was that was nice. Good. It was good. It was uh-- ” 

A faint blush staining the Omega’s cheek. “Just-- thank you. I'm embarrassed to be such a bother, but I appreciate you being willing to help.”

“Hey now, none of that.” the Alpha couldn’t resist nudging Tony’s chin up, careful not to smudge any of the glitter the Omega had so prettily applied. “Don’t be embarrassed, everyone wants to run away from their ex every once in a while. And since you’re ‘bout the sweetest Omega I’ve ever seen, it made my night to have an excuse to hold you, alright? No reason to be embarrassed.”

“Oh yeah?” Finally there was a smile, just a hint of delicate fangs beneath pink lips. “Well, it was sort of nice to be held by you.” 

“Well shit.” Bucky gulped when the sight of those fangs put his heart into double time.” You-- are you-- should we--” _Get it_ ** _ **together**_** _, Bronco_. “Do you want me to walk you out too? Just so he doesn’t try to talk to you at the door?” 

There, that sounded like a valid excuse to spend some more time with Tony, and Bucky felt a rush of _hell yeah_ right down to his soul when the Omega lit up with a real smile this time, darling fangs on full display and dark eyes lightening up golden like honey for a split second.

_Ho-ho-holy shit._

_I am in trouble._

There was a fancy black car waiting outside the bar when Bucky and Tony made it through the crowd and out the door, and the Omega flagged it down before turning at the curb and blinking up at Bucky for a few seconds to whisper, “You were my hero tonight. My knight in shining armor. Thank you so much.”

“It ain't no thing, sweet thing.” the Alpha replied easily, full on fuckin' _delighted_ when Tony blushed again. “Don't get me wrong, I'm no knight and my work shirt ain't shining armor, but anytime you need an Alpha to growl at an ex boyfriend for you, I'm real happy to show up and play the part.”

 _Christ_ , that was a stupid thing to say, but Tony smiled at him and Bucky promptly decided being _stupid_ was damn worth it.

“Do you mean that? I can call you?”

Bucky snatched a pen out of his back pocket and picked up the Omega's hand, cradled the long fingers in his big palm carefully _carefully_ and scrawled his cell phone number out. “I sure do mean it. The name’s James but everyone calls me Bucky and my phone's always on.”

“Bucky.” Tony’s dark eyes glittered curiously when they landed on the gleam of Bucky’s left prosthesis and the Alpha coughed self consciously and dropped his hand.

Most Omegas didn't like damaged Alphas and Bucky had been too carried away Tony's smile to remember to hide it. It would serve Bucky right for being an absolute _dumbass_ tonight if Tony turned out to be one of _those_ Omegas, on of those Omegas who politely but firmly turned down any interaction with a less than perfect Alpha. Tony was gorgeous and Bucky damaged and _aw hell_ Bucky should have left the little Omega before things got this awkward.

"S-sorry bout that, didn't mean to touch you with that hand." Bucky shifted back so his left arm wasn't quite so visible, but before Bucky could pull away further or apologize again or explain what had happened to his arm, Tony simply shifted his gaze back to Bucky's eyes and finished, “I suppose you already know this, but my name’s Tony.” 

“Tony.” Bucky didn’t mean to croon the word, or then again, maybe he did. _Tony_ \-- tasting it on his tongue and letting it pour down his throat to settle warm in his core. “Real pretty name for a real pretty Omega. Good to know ya.”

“And it’s nice to officially meet you, too.” Tony ducked his head and peeked at the numbers on his palm. “Thank you again. Have a good night?” 

“You too, sugar.” the Alpha reached around and opened the door of the car, and once Tony had slid in and was buckled, he grinned and waved. “Talk to you soon.”

Tony waved back and then the car pulled away, leaving Bucky there on the curb in front of the bar with a fuckin' _goofy_ smile on his face.

Alright, maybe the new posh crowd at his usual bar wasn’t so bad after all. He'd even deal with the god awful music and neon drinks if it meant Tony would come back around.

“You look stupid right now.” Natasha popped up at his side and Bucky jumped, _ack_ -ed! a little and then cursed when the other Alpha bared devilish fangs in a knowing grin.

“Damn you and your tiny sneaking ways.” he muttered. “You done getting' freaky with some fancy asshole so we can leave?”

“I think the Alpha who stares all love drunk after some petite Omega is the last Alpha who should judge me.” Nat informed him with a sniff. “We all saw you basically die over a smear of glitter, alright? Everyone saw that." 

“Yeah, alright.” Bucky scratched at his chin and cleared his throat. “So should I send Clint the pictures of you dancing or...”

“If you so much as hint anything to that Omega that will stress him out, I will kill you and bury you beneath the busted concrete in the garage.” she threatened. “Try it and see.”

“...I'm just gonna delete the pictures.”

“Smart man.”

********

****From Unknown Number**** : _Bucky, this is Tony. I'm not sure if you remember me, but we met at the bar the other night. If you aren’t terribly busy today, I’d like to buy you lunch. Please let me know at your soonest convenience_ _._

“Bucky! Slow the hell down!” Natasha shrieked in alarm when Bucky went tearing past her on his way out the door, but the Alpha didn’t pause long enough to even wave goodbye. It had been almost a week since meeting Tony and he hadn’t been able to get the pretty Omega out of his head.

 _'I'm not sure if you remember me_ '.

Bucky couldn't forget Tony if he _tried_. He'd been smelling vanilla and roses when he slept, seeing flashes of delicate little fangs in his gotdang day dreams and Bucky _swore_ his fingers tingled where they’d touched Tony’s waist. The Omega hadn't even shied away from his arm and the implications of _that_ was making the Alpha half insane and was sure making work damn near impossible so when Tony texted to suggest _lunch_ _,_ Bucky was on his bike and roaring away within just a few minutes. 

The cafe was uptown and fancier than where Bucky ate even on _special_ occasions--white table cloths, sparkling silverware and waiters in bow ties, a hostess and someone to take his coat, and one of those big chandeliers in the dining room. Wayy-yy out of Bucky's price range and definitely out of his usual grub hubs, but the Alpha only had a few seconds to be awed by the decor before he caught sight of Tony and was suddenly awed by something else altogether.

The Omega was literally _precious_ in his outfit today, wearing something ridiculously soft looking and hanging off his shoulders, big eyes even bigger thanks to what looked like eyeliner and cheekbones dusted in sparkle. Tony was already smiling as Bucky made his way through the dining room, fangs glinting in the bright lights and lips colored dark red and the Omega was like a fairy or-- or an _elf_ or something else beautiful and delicate and all at once Bucky felt _huge_ , felt out of place in his torn jeans and plain long sleeve, grease on his palms and hair in a messy bun. 

Out of place and way out of his depth and the Alpha’s steps slowed uncertainly just as he reached the table. “Hey Tony.” he cleared his throat and tried not to sound so intimidated by the fancy place. “Posh digs, huh?”

“Eh, it does in a pinch.” The Omega didn't seem phased by the setting, in fact Tony didn’t seem real inclined to take his eyes off _Bucky_ long enough to notice the room. His gaze darted over the Alpha's broad shoulders, down to his left hand and then further to the cut of his waist and across his thighs, and Bucky couldn't help a slightly cocky smirk when Tony's rose scent perfumed in _interest_.

Okay, _now_ he didn’t feel so out of his depth. Being equally _horny_ for each other sure put things back on comfortable footing.

“How are you, Omega?” Bucky pulled out a chair, plunked down into it and propped his elbows up on the table, decided to ignore the uncomfortably expensive surroundings and focus on seeing how quick he could make Tony smile. “Everything alright today?”

“Everything's fine, and I hope everything's fine with you but I have a proposition for you and I'd like to say it all before I lose my nerve.” Tony said it like he’d been holding his breath, and had to get it all out at once. “I um—I've been thinking about my current situation. And I've been thinking about the way you-- the way you-- oh no wait. Wait. I have notes.”

A stack of index cards appeared from the Omega’s bag and Bucky raised his eyebrows as Tony straightened them up and cleared his throat. “Alright. _Now_ I have a proposition for you.” 

“Lay it on me.” the Alpha answered immediately. “I’m all ears.” 

Bucky was all _heart eyes_ too, but that was a different story, so he motioned for Tony to continue. 

“Here’s the thing. I have a pretty terrible ex.” The Omega tugged at his shirt sleeve just like he’d done that night at the bar except _this_ time, Bucky caught sight of still fading bruises there on his wrist. “Ty never outright _hurt_ me, but he’s never really good to me either. That was him at the bar last week, the one that came up to us? And I’m afraid if he knows I’m single still, he won’t leave me alone, will just bother me and hound me until I go back to him.” 

“Uh-huh.” Bucky nodded slowly and ran his tongue over the sharp ends of his fangs to distract from a flash of anger. “Omega, do I need to kill this guy? Cos no Alpha worth the name would harm an Omega, or ignore anything that sounds like _no_. It’d be my fuckin’ pleasure to take him out back and teach him a lesson in respect, or at the very least show him how bad a broken nose--”

“No, it’s nothing like that!” Tony interrupted, but he looked pleased as _punch_ that Bucky had been so quick to jump to his defense. “Or at least, it hasn’t gotten to that point. Ty certainly doesn’t like to hear _no_ but he’s never gone too far with me either. I just want to get out before that even becomes-- you know, before I even have to worry about it.” 

“M'just sayin' it wouldn't be hard for me to find an excuse to clock that guy.” Bucky motioned for the pretty Omega to continue. “So what's your idea then?”

“Here’s my idea.” Tony brushed a curl off his forehead and straightened his note cards again, checking down at them to make sure he got the words right. He was intimidated as hell by the big Alpha now that they were face to face in the daylight, but it had taken _days_ to find the courage to even text Bucky, so he wasn’t about to give up, not when he was so close to a _fix_ for Tiberius. “Here’s my idea. How do you feel about pretending to be my Alpha. Er, my _real_ Alpha?"

“Your _real_ Alpha?!” 

“It’s just that you’re bigger than anyone else I know!” Tony blurted, already feeling foolish as the Alpha’s pale eyes widened in surprise. “You’re _certainly_ bigger than Ty and his friends and to be honest, you’re actually a little scary. But if you went with me to different events and acted protective and maybe even possessive over me for a while, maybe it would convince Ty to just leave me alone...?”

He held his breath, but Bucky didn’t answer so he hurried on, “I could pay you, of course. I wouldn't ask you to change your day to day life for me for free, that's crazy. I'd pay you for the trouble, if you need a suit for any specific event, I’d buy it for you. Food and drink, tickets to get in places, I’d even pay you for missing work if an obligation with me cuts into your hours. And it wouldn’t be forever, just long enough for Ty to think I’ve moved on... maybe a few months?”

Bucky was silent, and Tony rearranged his notes nervously, tapped the index cards on the table. “What-- what do you think?”

“Sugar.” the Alpha started slowly, and _oh_ Tony was surprised by how much he liked that name. “I think if you're brave enough to ask a strange Alpha like me to help you, you’re sure as hell brave enough to tell your ex to fuck off, huh? I think m'real unnecessary in all this.”

“But I’m _not_ brave enough to tell Ty to f-off.” Tony peeked up at Bucky through his lashes, biting his lip uncertainly, and Bucky tried to hide a smile over the posh little Omega not wanting to say _fuck_. “Ty and I run in all the same circles, we have all the same friends so he's impossible to avoid unless I want to give up my whole life. I’ve left him twice and gone back to him _twice_ and I don't want to do that again. Please help me not do that again."

“Why would you go back to him _twice_ _._ " 

“The relationship has never been great but it’s familiar.” Tony explained miserably, picking at a loose thread in his shirt so he couldn’t have to see the pity in the Alpha’s gaze. “We were matched at a young age and when I left the previous two times all I heard from friends and family was to give him another chance, that I needed to be patient, that I would regret giving up on such a longstanding relationship. And Ty can be so persuasive or-- or maybe the word is manipulative. Either way, I always end up apologizing and wondering why I ever left until the next time things get bad and...”

He sighed. “I know it sounds ridiculous, but sometimes going with familiar is the safest, most practical decision, especially for an Omega. I don't want Ty, but he's all I've ever known and I'm afraid if I don't do something drastic this time, I'll go right back to him and end up miserable forever.”

“So you need me to show up and get growly so he stays the hell away.” Bucky finished, and Tony’s shoulders slumped as he nodded. “You need me to be around so you never have a reason to call him up as an escort or a plus one to some fancy shin dig, and then if I'm around all the questions will be 'who's the new Alpha' and no why th'hell you aren't with Ty?”

“That's the gist of it, yes. I would like you around so Ty leaves me alone and so no one else gets meddlesome and tries to set me up with another Alpha.” Tony made a face. “I don't want to date anyone right now, and the easiest way to avoid matchmakers is to pretend I'm already taken.”

“Well hell, that sounds like the easiest job in the world.” Bucky decided, and then with a teasing rumble, “It'll be th'easiest thing in the world to get growly over you, Tony.”

“Really?” Tony didn’t mean to sound so excited or to smile quite so big, and the Alpha made a curious, punched out noise before smiling right back at him. “You'll help me? That would be amazing!” 

“Course I'll help ya.” Bucky seemed to relax, leaning back in the chair and spreading his legs and _oh my_ Tony’s eyes dropped immediately to those thick thighs and the way the dark denim strained at the seam running up the inside of Bucky's legs and then _oh help_ , Tony's eyes tracked a little higher to--

“I run my own shop, make my own hours, so it shouldn't be a problem working my schedule around any events.” the Alpha was saying and Tony snapped his gaze back up to Bucky’s face as if he’d been listening all along and not day dreaming about... um... _inches_. “And I'm always good for snarlin' at an asshole when they need it. Plus, I figure turning down a chance to spend more time with a pretty Omega like you would make me a fuckin’ idiot, you know?”

“Oh well.” Tony tried to be demure, tried to brush off the obvious compliment as if it hadn’t made his entire _day_ to know the Alpha thought he was pretty. “Could I buy you lunch and maybe we could keep talking? Get to know each other better and work out a few details?”

“That sounds real good, but I ran right outta my shop to get here and I _do_ got a project I need to finish tonight.” Bucky wasn’t faking the regret in his tone as he stood up and away from the table. “But this should be bout the only time I gotta tell you no, alright?”

“I--” Tony's entire body warmed at the _adoration_ layering the Alpha's voice. “Th—thank you.”

“Ain't no thing, sweet thing. And if there's anything on the menu a biker's salary can buy...” Bucky tossed a few twenties on the table. “--Consider this lunch on me.”

“Wait.” Tony blinked down at the money, then back up at Bucky in confusion. “Why did you come all this way if you were busy? We could have rescheduled.”

“Cos I told you to call me if you needed me.” Bucky shrugged like it was easy, like Tony was worth dropping _everything_ for. “Get a hold of me again when we gotta go somewhere like a couple, yeah? I always got my phone on so don’t worry about disrupting me. Anytime, Tony. I mean it.”

“Really?” the Omega squeaked, and when Bucky only grinned and showed off those long, curving fangs, Tony squeaked all over again. “Okay. I’ll-- I’ll call you.” 

“Lookin’ forward to it.” 

Tony sat still for a full fifteen minutes after Bucky had left, staring down at his pile of note cards and then at the money the Alpha had left behind. He had spent _hours_ writing up carefully prepared questions and reasons why this arrangement could be beneficial to them both, but Bucky had agreed without hearing hardly any reasons at all. Just agreed to it and then winked and _smiled_ and Tony kept trying to talk himself out of feeling giddy that he’d get to see the Alpha again, but it wasn’t working at all.

Bucky liked him, the Alpha couldn't hardly keep from growling around Tony and even though he'd never been the sort of Omega to get weak kneed over a rumble or flash of fangs...

... _whew_.

So instead of talking himself out of giggling and blushing a little bit, the Omega waved a waiter over and ordered lunch, then pulled out his phone to text Pepper and tell her what happened. 

****From Tony**** : _I met someone._

 ** **From Pepper**** : _YOU DID WHAT?_

 ** **From Tony**** : _I met someone, and I think it could be really good. We’re going out on a date next week. He seems really amazing._

He felt bad lying to the other Omega, but in order to convince _Ty_ the relationship was real, lots of people had to know about Bucky, starting his best friend. 

But then again, the more Tony thought about it, the less it felt like a lie at all. 

_..._ _hmmm_ _…._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is embarrassingly plotless, and I regret nothing.

Natasha was an Alpha other Alphas _avoided_. She was all of five feet tall and maybe a hundred and ten pounds on a good day, but every ounce of those hundred and ten pounds was full of spite, attitude and the sort of swagger Omegas _creamed_ over and bigger Alphas wished they could manage.

She was covered in tattoos, wore her red hair shaved on one side and long on the other, had various piercings in various places and every person to walk through the door of Red Star Rides called her _ma'am_. 

Well every person except _Bucky_ _,_ anyway. 

“Damn it, woman!” Bucky scowled over at the fierce Alpha and held up a wrench. “You have your own tools! Quit using mine! Or at least put them fuckin’ _back_ so I don’t have to go lookin’ for them when I’m half beneath a car and need it!” 

“Sure.” Natasha didn’t even look up from the phone. “Whatever you say, boss.” 

“Who are you texting?” the other Alpha threw up his hands in exasperation. “You don’t even like people, who could you possibly be talking to at three in the afternoon?” 

“Oh this isn’t my phone, it’s yours.” the redhead replied blandly and Bucky snarled in frustration. “You got a weird text from someone named Tony? He says, and I quote, ‘ _Bucky, I was hoping you were free tonight for a small get together at Crush, the wine bar downtown. You don’t have to wear anything terribly fancy, just neat and clean. We should meet for a few minutes beforehand to be sure we have our stories correct. Please let me know if I can expect you_.” 

Natasha raised _thoroughly_ judgmental eyebrows in Bucky’s direction and asked, “What in the fuck is this? You’ve never drank wine in your life and you own exactly one piece of clothing that could be called 'neat and clean'. Who is Tony and why does he text like a middle aged suburban house Omega who drinks hard lemonade in the summertime and considers that getting wild?” 

“Give me that.” Bucky snatched his phone back and fired off a quick ‘ _just give me a time and place babydoll_ _’_ before answering, “Remember that little Omega I met at the bar a few weeks ago?” 

“I remember you knotting up in your jeans cos he was wearing a twirly skirt and about killed you.” she countered. “Is that Tony?” 

“Yep, that’s Tony.” The twirly skirt _had_ about killed Bucky but he wasn’t about to admit it to his snarky friend. “He needs me to fend off some nasty ex so I’m going to hang out with him for a little bit.” 

“So he….” Nat’s eyebrows nearly met her hairline. “What? He _what_ , hired you to be his pretend Alpha?” 

“Yes.” 

“Oh my god, I was kidding! Are you _serious_ _?_!” Bucky only shrugged and the other Alpha screeched, “How much is he paying you?!” 

“Dunno.” Bucky shrugged again. “Doesn’t matter. I’d do it whether he was paying me or not.” 

“Uh-huh.” Natasha replied, clearly entirely unimpressed. “Tell me, are you protecting the Omega because you’re being a _good_ Alpha or cos you’re being a _horny_ Alpha?” 

“You saying I can’t be both?” Bucky flicked a greasy rag at her, and Natasha batted it out of the air. “I could be both! Doin’ this cos it’s the right thing to do and also cos--” 

He paused and Natasha leveled him with an impatient _look_.

“And also cos Tony wears glitter right here?” Bucky touched his cheek and tried not to grin so big. “And it’s so cute Tasha, fuck. He’s so cute. He wears lipstick and bats these damn eye lashes at me and it just ain't _right_ for an Omega to be so pretty! He smiled at me and I think my knees went weak. My legs actually got wobbly. How th'hell am I sposed to say _no_ to an Omega like that?"

“Embarrassing.” Natasha declared and pulled her own phone from her pocket. “Absolutely ridiculous an Omega made your knees weak. I’m texting Clint right now so we can talk shit about you.” 

“Sounds about right.” Bucky checked his messages when Tony texted back and then glanced up at the clock. “I’m gonna put another hour in then I’m out for the night. You gonna be here doing paperwork till close?” 

“If I have to be.” 

“Thanks.” Bucky kissed Natasha’s cheek and she popped her fangs at him before spinning around on her stool and texting rapid fire to the Omega Clint. 

_One hour_. Bucky told himself as he slid back beneath the truck to keep working. _Then I get to see Tony._

Unknown to the Alpha and his mouthy friend, across town Tony was getting dressed for the night out already, trying on and discarding half a dozen outfits before finally settling on one he thought appropriate for a first date with a still-sort-of-a-stranger-but-also-unbelievably-gorgeous- Alpha. 

_See you soon, sweet thing_ the text from Bucky read and Tony allowed himself just a minute to squeal in excitement before he got back to work picking out shoes. 

_One hour_. He thought as he slid bangles up onto his wrist. _Then I get to see Bucky._

_One hour._

********

A wine bar wasn’t really the right place to show off Bucky’s metal prosthesis _or_ the tattoos airbrushed up and down the silver limb so the Alpha put on a full long sleeve over his best pair of jeans, then added his favorite leather jacket as well. 

Tony hadn’t seemed too shocked by the silver hand when they first met, but the Omega had been so focused on escaping his ex he probably wouldn’t have said anything anyway.

A fake-real date was a different situation though-- it meant people and judgmental glances and someone pretty and posh like Tony was sure to realize a grubby mechanic with irreversible _damage_ wasn’t the sort of Alpha he was looking for. 

And well-- well okay, this was _fake_. And Tony's opinion wouldn't matter past a few of these meet ups. And Bucky shouldn't let something he couldn't help affect his day to day, right? People lived with worse injuries and disabilities every day and he shouldn't let it get to him but Bucky still tugged the glove up further on his wrist to hide the gleam of _artificial_. He adjusted his stance in the mirror so the heavy arm didn’t hang quite so low and turn his normal walk into that _swagger_ Natasha was always giving him hell about and maybe-- maybe it was just better if he downplayed it. 

Last thing in the world he wanted to do was turn Tony’s rose and vanilla scent _scared_ or _disgusted._ No he didn't want that _,_ not when the Omega had eyelashes like a diva and a smile like pure fuckin' sunshine and legs that would look damn good wrapped around Bucky's… _ahem_... bike…

 **From Tony** : _Hello, again. I would appreciate if we could meet at the gazebo in the park two blocks south of the wine bar. That will give us a chance to get our stories straight for the evening and also to obviously be walking in together._

 **From Bucky** : _Not a problem._

The Alpha’s bike started up with a roar and idled down into a purr and Bucky ran an affectionate hand over the bold red and silver gas tank before kicking it into gear and racing from the shop towards the highway. Natasha would bitch and moan for the next week about having to lock up, but she’d do it anyway and Bucky wouldn’t have to worry about the shop for the rest of the night.

Good thing too. With Tony on his mind, Bucky didn’t have much thought process left beyond ‘ _pretty_ ’ and ‘ _mine_ ’ and ‘ _ho ho holy shit’_ _._ Things like locking up the shop and not having all his gear stolen--- well, those took a backseat to whatever the hell spell the Omega had cast over him. 

**From Bucky** : _See you real soon, sweet thing_. 

It was only about twenty minutes from the time Bucky texted to the time he pulled into a parking spot down the street and jogged over towards the gazebo, but Tony had already been there for a nerve wracking, anxiety inducing _hour_ and he broke into a relieved smile when he saw the Alpha headed his way. 

“Hi.” he stood up like he had been waiting patiently and not pacing back and forth all over the place, smoothed down his button up like he hadn’t changed outfits at least six different times, and held out his hand for Bucky to shake like the sight of all that _Alpha_ didn’t make him shivery right to his core. “I was getting worried you weren’t going to come.” 

“Am I that late?” Bucky was unfairly gorgeous in jeans and a leather jacket, unfairly chivalrous as he took Tony’s hand and kissed his palm before letting go, just honestly everything _unfair_ when his pale blue eyes flickered red as he looked Tony over briefly. “Wow. You look great.” 

“You um-- you look great too.” Tony’s hand was burning from the brush of Bucky’s lips and it took everything he had not to put it over his heart in one of those saccharine, flirty gestures that Omegas did with courting Alphas. 

Cos Bucky _wasn’t_ courting him, this was all just pretend and Tony had to keep that in mind even as he bit at his tongue to keep from purring when the Alpha leaned against the gazebo door way and folded ridiculous arms over an equally ridiculous chest. 

Tony could almost hear Pepper crowing, “ _Horny Omega!_ ” so he cleared his throat and tried for some semblance of normalcy when he replied, “Oh and you aren’t that late. I’m just-- you know, just that anxious. Showed up super early.”

“No reason to be anxious, sugar.” Bucky answered immediately, shaking his head until a few strands of dark hair came loose from the bun and fell around his face. “We can do this just fine. You tell me what to say and I’ll say it, you tell me what to do and I'll do it. Let’s get our stories straight here for a minutes and if your ex starts anything when we're inside, I’ll tear his throat out.” 

“The flooring in the wine bar is worth more than most cars, so maybe we don’t get blood on it.” the Omega couldn’t help his smile and it only stretched wider when Bucky grumbled in faux annoyance. He had no doubt Bucky could make good on that particular threat towards Ty. The Alpha's arms were huge and fangs looked vicious and the leather jacket didn't do much to hide all the strength in Bucky's frame... _wow_. “But I appreciate the sentiment. Should we figure out a few things about each other?” 

“Sure, sweetheart.” Bucky paused, clearly waiting for something, and after a mortifying few seconds Tony realized the Alpha was waiting on him to stop _staring_. 

“Oh my god, sorry. You um-- I um--" The Omega shook his head and begged his brain to stop thinking about _muscles_ long enough to form a sentence. "Okay. Can we just move on from me being awkward? Please? I don't mean to stare but you're--” he made a vague motion. “--stare worthy. Let's move on.”

“Ain’t no thang.” Bucky’s fangs caught the nearby streetlights when he grinned and Tony fought against a full force blush. “You go first sugar, I'm sure you're more interesting than I am.” 

“Okay.” _Horny Omega, get it together_. “Okay, my name is Tony Carbonell Stark--” he checked quickly to see if there was any flash of recognition in the Alpha’s eyes but Bucky seemed unfazed so Tony hurried on. “-- and I’m twenty four years old. Birthday is in May, I’m an only child, I work down at the library on 17th. My favorite color is red, my best friend is Pepper and my other best friend Rhodey. She's a model and he’s deployed for the Air Force right now. I listen to jazz and I play the piano and I love to dance.” 

The Omega bit at his lip and clinked the bangles at his wrist nervously as he motioned to the Alpha. “Your turn.” 

“Kay.” Bucky nodded. “My real name is James Buchanan Barnes but all my friends call me Bucky and if you play real nice with me--” he winked. “-- I’ll let you find out why all the Omegas call me _Bronco_ _._ ” 

The noise Tony made over the implications of _Bronco_ was half shocked and half turned on, and he clapped both hands over his mouth to make sure he didn’t make it again and die of sheer embarrassment. 

Bucky only laughed and waved him off though, continuing, “I just barely turned thirty one, birthday is in March. I got a couple sisters but you won’t meet them so it don’t matter. I own Red Star Rides, can fix everything from bikes to the occasional motor-home and I work with Tasha, who's about the crankiest Alpha you’ll ever meet. My best friend is Stevie. He’s an artist, he does the custom paint on the cars and did the one on my bike too. And you know, I don’t really dance--” 

Oh no Tony made that _noise_ all over again when the Alpha’s eyes shaded red at him. 

“-- but I’d sure love to watch _you_ move to some music, babydoll.”

“Oh my.” Tony squeaked, his mind immediately jumping to what it would be like to dance with Bucky, or to dance _for_ Bucky, or to dance _on_ Bucky, and he was suddenly over heating, feeling like he was going to sweat right through his shirt and most likely right through his too tight pants. “Well uh-- I um—Golly, uh--”

“Somethin’ else we should talk about.” Bucky pulled off his riding gloves and Tony’s attention shifted from rather risque dance themed wonderings to sheer _curiosity_ when the Alpha’s left hand shone bright in the early evening. “I know you saw this the other night, but I figured we should set the record straight before anyone starts asking questions.”

“Set the record straight.” Tony repeated. “Why’s that?” 

“Cos pretty, perfect Omegas like you never wanna look twice at a damaged Alpha.” Bucky said softly, and Tony’s eyes went sharp and knowing when he heard the _resignation_ in Bucky’s voice. “And I’m sure your fancy friends will wonder what th’ hell you’re doin’ with me too.” 

“The people we’re about to meet are certainly fancy, but I don’t know if I’d say they're my friends.” The Omega reached for Bucky’s wrist and held the heavy limb in both his hands, too keen on _looking_ to notice how Bucky’s breath caught and his shoulders went tense. “What happened?” 

“It was an accident.” the Alpha’s mouth was dry as he watched Tony closely inspect the joints that let his fingers move, the way his wrist rotated. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had touched his left hand without recoiling a little but this tiny Omega seemed outright _fascinated_ and not in the weird, morbid way some other dates had been. Tony looked almost in awe of the mechanics behind the prosthesis so Bucky took a chance and clenched his fist-- careful not to squish Tony’s fingers but just enough to make the plates at his forearm realign so the Omega could hear them clicking and moving. 

“Oh my--!” the pretty mouth dropped wide open, a flush darkening his cheeks. “That is so cool!” 

“Yeah, well that’s an opinion most Omegas don’t share.” he rotated his wrist and Tony grabbed on tighter, Bucky curled his arm up and the Omega _shrieked_ when he came right off the ground a few inches. “It’s robotic, you know? I had a real shitty motorcycle accident and they took my arm clear through my shoulder. Tryna give me some movement back and they fit me with this thing instead of a traditional prosthetic. Part of some trial program and it’s worked out okay so I kept it.” 

“You’re a Terminator.” Tony announced in a _way_ more excited tone than Bucky could have ever expected, excited and even a little breathless. “I’m about to go on a date with a Terminator, or-- or like the Six Million Dollar Man. Or-- or RoboCop! This is the coolest day of my life!” 

And then as if he’d realized how ridiculously _nerdy_ he’d just sounded, the Omega ducked his chin and batted his lashes shyly, “Sorry. You probably don’t like when people say stuff like that?” 

“Sweetheart, you just keep right on calling me RoboCop.” Bucky drawled and Tony lit up with another one of those mega watt smiles. “One day I’ll bring you over and we can watch all those movies together. I’ve got those ones and at least a half dozen other robot themed ones too.” 

“Really?” 

“After the accident, my asshole friend Sam thought the movies would cheer me up.” the Alpha explained and Tony tried hard not to laugh at his thoroughly disgruntled expression. “He sat there and compared me to th’ fuckin’ _terminator_ and told me I’d have to step it up if I was gonna be that cool.” 

“But you like the movies now?” 

“When _Sam_ isn’t watching them with me, yeah.” 

“He sounds like the worst! Sam!” The Omega finally giggled, and Bucky clutched at his chest like the cuteness might actually kill him. “But he’s not your artist friend? That’s Steve?” 

“That’s Steve.” Bucky confirmed, and kept rubbing at his chest cos damn the giggle was cute but this Omega being so comfortable with his arm-- and maybe a little turned on by the whole thing judging by the flush in his cheeks every time Bucky flexed-- was making his heart do fuckin’ _flip flops_. “So your friend Rhodey--” 

“I’m okay with kissing!” The Omega suddenly blurted, and Bucky’s mouth clicked shut cos this topic was going to be way more interesting than talking about friends. “I um-- I was thinking about it. And I mean, it would be just to sell the whole idea of us dating. You know? Just a little extra convincing. How-- how do you feel about kissing?” 

He raised his eyebrows and bit into his bottom lip with those cute fangs when Bucky didn't answer right away. “I’m-- I’m okay with it. If you are, I mean. I'm okay with it.” 

“You wanna kiss me, babydoll?” the Alpha was going for suave but he was pretty sure it came out _stupid_ and he mentally kicked himself for it. 

“Just-- just for pretend.” Tony shuffled his feet nervously, blushing harder than ever when Bucky grinned at him again. “Real kisses but you know, for pretend. But nothing else, I can’t-- we aren’t-- I mean I don’t want to--” 

“Nothing more than kisses.” Bucky took pity on Tony’s obvious awkwardness and nodded. “Got it. I think you’re right, it will seal th’whole thing in case anyone has questions.” 

“Right.” the Omega breathed out a sigh of relief. “Thank you. I realize we should have talked about this the other day, but I was sort of scared to bring it up.” 

“No reason to be scared, the whole reason I’m here is to protect you, right?” Bucky waited until Tony smiled up at him, and nodded one more time. “Well, we could talk about best friends and maybe kissin' all damn night. but do you think we should get to it and get this wine shit over with?”

“Definitely. We should definitely get to…” the Omega’s voice trailed off when he realized it was raining, the two of them too engrossed in the conversation and _learning_ about each other to notice the gathering clouds and now the raindrops spattering the sidewalk outside the gazebo. “Oh shoot, I don’t have an umbrella. The rain will ruin my blouse.”

“I'm on my bike, or I’d give you a ride to the bar.” Bucky hedged, and then after a few seconds of deliberation, the Alpha simply shrugged out of his leather jacket and swooped it around Tony’s shoulders, popped the collar and pulled it high to Tony’s ears. “How’s that?” 

“Oh. Oh It’s… _wonderful_.” the Omega turned his nose into the jacket and inhaled Bucky’s scent and then exhaled on a noise that was practically a moan and _fuckin’ hell_ Bucky’s jeans were suddenly uncomfortable enough to make him scream. 

Got _damn_ if he was gonna be popping boners like a damn newly presented Alpha he needed to invest in more forgiving pants. 

It was bad enough that Tony was practically swimming in the jacket, looking teeny tiny and adorable in the heavy leather, but then the Omega’s eyes were all big where they shone out from beneath his curls, pink lips parted to show just the hint of fangs and Tony was blushing and _goddamnit_ Bucky was a grown ass Alpha and not some young’un looking to knot anything that moved, there was no reason for him to be so damn _dumb_ about this.

“Won’t _you_ get wet now, Bucky?” Tony asked innocently, _sweetly_ and Bucky let himself brush just light, so so light over the Omega’s cheek before rasping, “Nah, bright eyes. I’m doing just fine.” 

He was _not_ in fact doing fine, the Alpha was all of thirty seconds from dropping to his knees and begging for a kiss, but-- _grown ass Alpha, grown ass Alpha_ \-- Bucky growled to himself and then tried for a smile that didn’t look too possessive and held out his hand. 

“Shall we?” 

Naturally, the _second_ they started down the sidewalk towards the bar the clouds darkened and the heavens opened up and suddenly it was _pouring_ , soaking through Bucky’s shirt and flattening Tony’s hair to his forehead and even when they broke into a run it was obvious they wouldn’t make it to the bar without most likely drowning in a puddle on the way. 

So Bucky did the only thing an Alpha _could_ do in that situation--simply scooped up his Omega date right into his arms and started pounding down the sidewalk towards cover. 

“Oh!” Tony gasped out loud when he found himself suddenly cradled up close to Bucky’s body, but he certainly wasn’t complaining and then he was _laughing_ listening to Bucky swear and curse at the rain as he jumped over puddles and dodged dips in the sidewalk.

He could feel Bucky’s heartbeat against his ear, the leather jacket was warm and dry and scented frankly _delicious_ so Tony just curled tighter into the Alpha and closed his eyes against the deluge. 

It was okay to relax for just a minute, just a minute before he had to put on a perfectly polite smile and talk to Ty and the rest of these people like he didn’t want to scream and run for the door. Tony couldn't remember the last time he'd felt anything close to this safe, this warm, this _adored_ and it was all because this particular Alpha was holding him close.

 _Just a minute_. 

“You with me, sugar?” 

Tony opened his eyes with a start when the Alpha’s voice was real close to his ear, and after a few blinks he realized Bucky had already made it inside the bar and was still holding Tony over his heart in the foyer. 

“Oh, I didn’t realize we made it inside.” 

“No worries.” the Alpha set Tony down as if he were precious and _oh_ did Tony love that. “I know the jacket’s warm but I didn’t expect you t’half fall asleep in it.” 

“You run _much_ smoother than the Six Million Dollar Man.” Tony informed cheekily and Bucky laughed out loud, showing off those intimidating fangs, the roll of broad shoulders, the sheer size of his chest and those arms and _oh look_ his shirt was sticking to his body and was that two-four-six why yes it _was_ a six pack of overly defined abs.

_Hello, muscles._

“Eyes are up here, babydoll.” the Alpha teased and Tony briefly felt like running right back outside and straight into traffic. “No it’s okay, keep lookin’. Seems real authentic if you can’t keep your eyes off me, huh?” 

_Oh right._

_People were watching._

“Real authentic.” Tony echoed thickly, and steeled himself against _eep_!ing again when the Alpha stepped right up close and brushed his hair out of his eyes. “What-- what are you doing?” 

“You’re lookin’ at me like no one’s ever carried you before.” Bucky said softly, too softly for anyone to overhear, which meant it was too soft to be a _show_ and Tony’s heart leaped into his throat. “But that can’t be right cos you weigh about as much as a feather and are soft like a bag’a sweet marshmallows. Alpha’s should be fuckin’ _fighting_ to carry you around. Call you a damn _s’more_ cos they can’t get enough.” 

“A _s’more_?!” It was Tony’s turn to laugh, thoroughly charmed by the flirting and completely _cackling_ over the sass. “Did you just call me a _s’more_!?"

“I called ya what I called ya.” The Alpha bent and nuzzled at Tony’s cheek, pressed lightly at his cheek and whispered, “Damn you got a pretty laugh, sugar.” 

“Everyone’s probably watching now that I laughed like that.” Tony whispered and Bucky whispered back, “Yeah, they sure are.”--

\--and didn’t tell the Omega that he had no clue if anyone was watching, cos he was lost in Tony’s smile and the way those dark eyes brightened like honey and sunshine. 

“Yeah.” he said again. “Everyone’s watching. You ready to pretend the hell outta this night?” 

“Ready if you are.” Tony squeezed at Bucky’s hand and nodded. “Let's do it.” 

********

 _God_ , wine bars were boring.

Weird wall paper and fancy lighting and yep, Tony had been right, the flooring that looked like it was worth more than Bucky’s bike and most likely half the cars he worked on at the shop. The waitress-- no wait, the _sommelier_ \-- had been less than impressed with Bucky’s wet appearance and even _less_ impressed when the Alpha had asked for whiskey instead of wine and when Tony’s posh friends had started talking investments and stocks and bonds and whatever the hell a _bull market_ was before they'd even found their seats, the Alpha had looked towards the door longingly and wondered how mad Tony would be if he just bailed--

\-- but a few minutes later the little Omega had sat that pert little rear right down on Bucky’s lap and all thoughts of _bailing_ vanished right along with his ability to put a full sentence together. 

He would sit in this place six days a week all year long if it meant Tony would snuggle in this tight. 

Not that it was in no way necessary for Tony to sit on his lap and truthfully, Bucky's entire plan for the evening had been to fill a spot next to the Omega and just stay quiet while Tony showed off a sort of shocking amount of smarts when it came to financial... stuff. Bucky didn't know shit about the stock market, but Tony knew a _lot_.

Bucky had planned to just stand or sit or hover wherever Tony was and pass the evening in awe of Tony's genius and counting the frankly adorable dusting of barely there freckles on the Omega's cheek, and by any and all estimates, that would have been a perfectly fine way to waste a few hours at a wine bar. 

But then Khaki Asshole from the other night walked in, put together and posh and already annoying as hell as far as Bucky was concerned, and Tony had gone very _very_ stiff where they stood up at the bar. 

“Alright?” Bucky leaned in to mutter and Tony muttered back, “That’s Ty, and he’s already looking our way.” 

“I got you.” Just like that Bucky abandoned his plan of counting freckles and zoning out for the night and headed towards an overstuffed easy chair. Whiskey in one hand and Tony close behind, the Alpha had sat back and spread his legs wide before hooking his free hand into Tony’s belt loop and and tugging gently but _firmly_ until the Omega sat back onto his lap. 

It was in no way necessary for Tony to sit on him and all of Bucky's irritated anti-wine bar thoughts sure crashed to a stop when booty met lap, but it was one hundred worth it to see the way Ty visibly _blanched_ when Bucky wound his arm around Tony's little waist and held him secure.

When the other Alpha didn't immediately look away, Bucky took it a step further and let his big hand-- his _left_ hand-- rest high up on Tony’s thigh, rumbling in quiet approval when Tony automatically and maybe even _instinctively_ balanced himself with a slim hand high on Bucky’s thigh too. 

They sat cozy and close for the better part of two hours, the Alpha sipping at his whiskey and tuning out the conversation in favor of studying the paintings along the far wall, the Omega apparently perfectly content to drive Bucky halfway to insane with little wiggles on his lap and the occasional press of fingers on his leg. 

No one talked to Bucky other than an occasional glance which was just fine cos after Tony had made general introductions, the Alpha had immediately forgotten every single name except Ty and they seemed to forget about him too. 

Totally fine cos Bucky didn’t know what the hell to say to people who called getting drunk ‘having cocktails’ anyway. 

He was entirely out of his depth and it was totally fine, cos Tony stayed on his lap and Ty kept glaring and it was _worth it._

In fact, Bucky only spoke up once during the conversation and it was when Tony motioned for the _sommelier_ to bring him another glass. The pretty Omega lifted his hand to motion to the woman, and Bucky shook his head and ordered quietly but firmly, “You’ve had enough to drink, Omega.” 

Tony swiveled in Bucky’s lap with an interesting spark of _defiance_ lighting in his eyes and Bucky had to fight against a growl of _want_ to finish, “You want some thin’ else, you can sip at my whiskey, but you aren’t having any more wine.” 

The defiance flared a little brighter, enough that the Alpha started regretting wanting to growl and started to wonder if he’d overstepped or misread the situation but then all at once Tony smiled demurely and nodded in apparent agreement, then held out his hand so Bucky would hand over his glass. 

Crisis averted for the moment, but the Alpha knew he’d have some _explaining_ to do later on in the night. 

Ty watched the whole interaction with narrowed eyes and pursed lips and just cos the guy looked like a sourpuss, Bucky made a show of drinking from the same side of the glass as Tony, his mouth squarely where the Omega’s lips had been a few seconds previous. 

Ty finally looked away, which was an absolute _win_ , and if Bucky grinned to himself like a moron because _oooh_ it was like he and Tony had just kissed… well, that was sort of a win too. 

It would be a _third_ win for the night if Bucky could stand up and clock Ty right across his smug face, and his hands practically itched with the need to do exactly that.

Despite Tony’s easy smiles for the group and fairly astonishing rapid fire relay of stock related knowledge and the confidence in every word-- _despite_ all that, the little Omega was nearly thrumming with anxiety, starting to tremble in Bucky’s arms every time Ty spoke, and stumbling over his own sentences when just a few minutes ago, he'd been so clear and concise. Nothing pissed Bucky off more than an Alpha who clearly enjoyed making an Omega nervous and _man_ he wanted to punch the guy. 

But there went Tony wiggling on him again and Bucky settled right down, the weight of the sweet Omega his new favorite thing in the entire world and well worth wine bars and pretentious drinkers.

Besides, he could always punch Ty _later_ _._

He would _definitely_ find an excuse to punch the guy later.

Two hours passed like molasses, and by the time everyone was starting to say goodbye Tony could tell Bucky was at his breaking point of both interest and patience.

Truth be told, Tony was at his breaking point too. The strain of keeping it together in front of Ty, of pretending in front of his investors group, and-- to be quite honest-- the strain of feeling every shift of Bucky’s ridiculously well muscled thighs beneath his butt each time he _breathed_ was starting to get to him, so the moment the first person of their group started gathering their jacked, he turned to the Alpha and whispered, “You ready to go ?” 

“Will it hurt your feelings if I say your friends are boring as shit?” Bucky countered, bumping noses teasingly. “Cos Tony, your friends are boring as _shit_.” 

“Come on.” Tony smiled and lingered just long enough to brush their noses one more time. “I already called for a car. You’ll get in with me and we’ll just drop you off at your bike.” 

“Sounds real good, sugar.” Bucky patted at Tony’s rear so the Omega would hop up off his lap, then wound their fingers together and led Tony over towards his coat, put the leather right around Tony’s shoulders for entirely selfish reasons and grinned as he smoothed it down Tony’s back. “We should get you a leather jacket, Tony. You look great in it." 

“You think so?” _Fuck_ , Tony was so sweet and tiny burrowed into Bucky’s coat. “I think I'm inclined to agree.”

“Yeah well, I think _I'm_ inclined to--” 

“Tony.” 

Here came Ty to ruin the moment, and Bucky muffled an exasperated sigh and slid right back into his part of _boyfriend_ , grabbing up the edges of his jacket and using the leverage to pull the Omega in close until their foreheads touched and noses bumped and they were sharing air. 

“B--Bucky--?” 

“Eyes on me, sweet thing.” he crooned and Tony breathed out shakily. “This guy can fuckin’ _wait_ , you hear? S’rude to walk up to a couple and interrupt their moment, so you just keep your eyes on me and we’ll make this asshole wait it out.” 

There was no denying the _thrill_ that ran through Tony’s body when Bucky pulled him up close, or the way his heart started pounding when the Alpha was near enough to kiss. But the exhilaration was quickly dampened by Ty’s presence just over Bucky’s shoulder, the growing scowl and open irritation in the Alpha’s posture and Tony hated that he couldn't just ignore it like Ty had ignored him so many times.

“Bucky.” he murmured, and the Alpha nodded against him before finally letting go and straightening up, pushing Tony just slightly behind him as he turned to face Ty. 

Ty stood there and waited for Bucky to speak, but the biker had no such inclinations, fully content to just have a stare down so long as Tony was tucked away a little bit so Ty couldn’t _lee_ _r._

Finally the posh Alpha cleared his throat and practically sneered, “So. You aren’t Tony’s usual type. He tends to prefer Alphas that can afford to pay for the limo service, not ones who look like the drivers.” 

“Is that so?” Bucky drawled, slow and obnoxious and Ty’s eyes darkened to red in annoyance. “Well it’s a fuckin’ good thing he traded in, huh? Good drivers got good hands and lotsa practice handling _curves_ \--” his left hand ghosted over Tony’s hip. “-- and we all know how important those sorta things are for keeping our Omegas happy.” 

It was a crude statement, a thinly veiled innuendo and Bucky made it _worse_ when he flashed his fangs and waggled his eyebrows, “I’m about the best _driver_ around, ya hear?” 

“Right.” Ty frowned when Tony tried to stifle a giggle. “How did you two meet again? Drunk at some dive bar?” 

“Nah, you know how it is.” Bucky tugged the Omega to his side and tipped Tony’s chin up gently. “Sometimes a fella meets an angel and he’d be a damn fool to let the chance to hold ‘em slip by so he's gotta do something about it.”

Ty made a noise that was practically ‘ _ew_ ’ and turned his attention to Tony, but whatever he said fell on deaf ears as Tony stared up at Bucky with starry eyes that weren’t even _close_ to being faked. 

“That’s what you think?” he asked breathlessly. “That's what you think about me?”

Bucky just wrapped his fingers through one of Tony’s curls and sproinged it lightly. “C’mon bright eyes. Let’s get outta here.” 

********

“That was amazing!” Tony felt like he was shouting but he couldn’t find it in himself to care, and since the Alpha only laughed at him, he shrieked even louder, “Did you _see_ Ty’s stupid face? And the way he turned almost green when you said that about meeting me? THAT WAS AMAZING!” 

“I’m glad it worked out, sugar.” Bucky swung his leg over the side of his bike and settled down onto the seat, flipping the switch and kicking her awake. “You aren’t uh-- you aren’t too mad about me telling you not to have anything else to drink, are you?” 

“You only did it cos this is a group of people who expect Omegas to obey their Alphas.” Tony stated, and Bucky nodded, pleased as hell that the Omega had figured it out. “You took one look at Ty and knew it would irritate him to see me _obeying_.” 

“Yeah, wasn’t nothing personal.” the Alpha clarified. “I could’a used another six drinks to make it through all that but I thought the quickest way to let them know we’re legit is to order you around a little bit.” 

“It was perfect.” Tony was doing that starry eyed, fluttery lashes thing again and Bucky groaned under his breath when his body reacted accordingly and he had to shift on the seat. “Under normal circumstances I'd probably claw an Alpha's eyes out for that sort of thing, but it worked tonight so I don't mind. Oh! And I forgot to pay you for--” 

“We can settle up next time.” Bucky interrupted, knowing damn well he’d never take a penny from the Omega. “You’ll call me?” 

“I’ll call you.” Tony promised. “Thank you, Bucky. Really. You made tonight so much easier... I can't imagine how it would have gone with out you. _Thank you_.”

“Ain’t no thing, sweet thing.” the Alpha shifted into gear and waved before hitting the throttle, roaring out of the parking lot, down the freeway and away into the night. 

Tony fell into the town car's plush upholstery and sighed over loud, feeling utterly foolish as he reached up and felt at his nose and the side of his cheek where the Alpha had touched him so carefully. 

The whole fake-Alpha idea had seemed entirely plausible when Bucky had just been _scary_ , but now it was obvious the Alpha was also funny and charming and really really, really _really_ gorgeous and so much more _Alpha_ than Tony had ever thought possible.

Bucky was more of _everything_ than Tony had ever thought possible, and the Omega couldn't do much more than huff a quiet laugh when his stomach erupted into a riot of butterflies. 

He was in way over his head. 

_How very, very fun._


	3. Chapter 3

“Okay, tonight is an engagement party for the bank president’s daughter and it's actually the _third_ engagement party I've been to for her, but we have to pretend it's the first one because _yikes_ those other marriages didn’t work out really well and honestly, I wasn’t supposed to even be here tonight but Mama got sick so I had to come represent the Stark family.”

Tony was talking about a million miles an hour as the elevator rocketed towards the penthouse suite of the hotel, blurting out every piece of relevant information he could possibly think of before they entered the party. “It's not that big of an event so there’s only about a hundred people coming, but every single one of them are going to be horribly nosy when they see us. You are definitely going to be asked the same set of questions at least a dozen questions, and consider yourself warned, some of these people will be will be outright rude because they think being rich and _ancient_ excuses a lack of manners. Don’t take it personally, it’s just the way they are.” 

“That’s alright, sugar. I do pretty good with rude people.” Bucky couldn’t stop smiling down at the Omega as Tony fussed over his shirt, smoothing out wrinkles and straightening his cuffs, and when Tony gave a little gasp of dismay when he saw Bucky was cuff-link-less, the Alpha just laughed at him. “Omega, it’s fine. No one’s gonna notice I don’t have cuff links!” 

“You’re highly underestimating these people and what they do or do not notice.” Tony disagreed, and reached up to adjust Bucky’s tie. “For the love of-- who did this for you? Who thought this passed as a properly done up tie!?”

“Tasha did!” Bucky tried and failed to bat the Omega’s hands away. “She can tie a tie just fine, leave it alone!” 

“She ties a tie like a barbarian and I won’t have it.” Tony dodged Bucky’s attempt and yanked hard enough at the tie to make the Alpha _gllmph_!? in surprise as he was forcefully brought down to Tony's eye level. “Hold still so I can attempt to fix this please.”

“Holdin' still on threat of stranglin'.” Bucky promised faux seriously. He was only teasing of course, he was _fully_ content to stand so close to Tony, studying the fall of long lashes on the Omega's cheeks and the way one of those perfect lips disappeared beneath the sharp end of a pretty fang as Tony concentrated on what was apparently the _only_ appropriate way to tie a knot. “How was your week, Tony?” 

It had been a long few days of limited communication from the Omega. Bucky had woken up to a few random texts of “ _oh, I forgot to tell you_ …” followed by information about Tony he could use in case they were ever grilled on each other. Bucky had texted back a couple things he thought might be pertinent too, but other than that, the phones had stayed sort of depressingly silent. 

The Alpha had thought at least a thousand times about picking up his phone and just _calling_ Tony, checking in with the Omega or maybe asking him out for a drink so they could talk instead of texting, but that... that seemed like crossing a line, or maybe acting like he and Tony were more than _pretending_ so every time Bucky had gotten that particular urge, he just put his phone down, ignored Tasha’s judgmental looks, and went back to work. 

The decision hadn’t kept his mind from wandering to the pretty Omega though, hadn't kept Bucky from wondering if Tony was having a good day at work or if he did anything fun at home or if the Omega had a cat, or maybe a dog, or if Tony was thinking about Bucky like Bucky was thinking about _him_. 

The invitation/demand for tonight had come just this morning, Tony texting in all caps with a myriad of misspellings too grievous for even spell check to capture. 

Bucky had texted back, ‘ _whoa, grammar. Aren’t you librarians supposed to spell better than the rest of us?_ ’ and then spent far too long laughing way too hard at the thoroughly unamused frowny face he received in response. 

Coming along with Tony tonight had worked out just fine though. The Alpha had promised he was available then promptly called both Sam and Steve and rescheduled their poker game for the night. He’d hung up over the sound of Sam booing him to text Natasha and tell her she’d have to close up shop again. 

Easy peasy and well worth the way Tony had smiled all starry eyed and sweet as hell when Bucky arrived wearing a tie--

\-- a tie that was apparently suddenly the _worst_ , because Tony groaned in frustration than undid the knot and ripped the tie right out of Bucky’s collar. 

“This is useless.” the fussy Omega announced. “It’s a good thing I brought a back up.” 

“You--” the Alpha narrowed his eyes when Tony retrieved a _different_ tie from the inside of his suit jacket. “You brought me a back up tie.” 

"Of course I did.” 

“Of...course you did.” Bucky repeated slowly. “You know bringing spare ties to parties isn’t normal right?” 

“You have no idea how very normal this is for my lifestyle.” Tony looped the tie around Bucky’s neck and ordered, “Stop breathing please, it’s messing me up.” 

“Oh my god.” the Alpha huffed a laugh, but obediently held his breath until Tony stepped away and eyeballed him critically. “Do I pass muster? They aren’t gonna throw me out for being under dressed?”

“You’re gorgeous and I'm sure everybody in the room will be surprised I even let you out of bed.” the Omega decided, then blushed embarrassed _pink_ when he realized what he said. “Oh, I mean um--” 

“I got it, babydoll.” Bucky winked and reached in the back pocket of his dress pants for his leather gloves. “Brought these too in case you wanted me to hide my hand.” 

“I wouldn’t have bought you a tie in _glacial blue_ and _polar silver_ if I wanted you to hide your hand.” Tony said primly. “It wasn't easy finding an accessory to match both your eyes and your arm, but I put a lot of work into it, so don't ruin my effort by hiding. Gloves away please, there’s only two types of people who wear gloves to an inside party and one of them is carrying drink trays and hor d’oeuvres.” 

“Oh yeah?” Completely charmed by the sass from the fuckin’ _darling_ Omega, Bucky waggled his eyebrows teasingly. “What’s the other type of person who wears gloves to a party?” 

“Serial killers.” The Omega answered, so promptly and so seriously that Bucky was still laughing when the elevator doors slid open and let them out into the penthouse. “Oh stop that, it wasn’t that funny.” 

“Pretty small thing like you lookin’ me dead in the eye and talking about serial killers?” Bucky wiped at his eyes theatrically. “I’ve got to be a waiter or a serial killer if I wear gloves huh, nothing in between?” 

“Absolutely not.” Tony finally broke into a smile and tucked his small hand into the crook of Bucky’s elbow. “Smile for the cameras, Alpha.” 

“For the cameras--?” 

Light bulbs flashed in front of them, and thankfully Bucky was the sorta Alpha that _had_ to smile when a pretty Omega smiled, so the first picture the photographer got of Tony Stark and his new beau was them grinning at each other over some private joke. 

“Hey Tony?” Bucky kept smiling but his pale eyes twitched red uncertainly when he realized his left hand was out in plain view. “Why didn’t you tell me there was gonna be cameras?” 

“Sorry.” Christ, it wasn’t _fair_ how the Omega managed to look so thoroughly innocent all the time. “To be honest, I go so many places with photographers I don’t even pay attention anymore.”

“Everywhere you go there are photographers?” Bucky asked incredulously, and Tony lifted one shoulder in a half hearted shrug. “Fuck sweetheart, our lives are way different, aren’t they?” 

“You mean, you don’t have photographers at your bike shop?” The Omega batted those thick eye lashes up at Bucky teasingly, so damn pretty it should be illegal. “But who’s there to tell you how amazing you look all the time?” 

Right on cue, a different photographer asked, “Tony! Tony Stark you look amazing tonight! Let’s get a picture of the new Alpha!” 

“Smile!” Tony tipped his head back, put his hand on his little waist and cheesed it at the camera and Bucky…. Well Bucky was sure his face looked half smitten and half fucking _stupid_ , but that was alright. No one would possibly be looking at him when they could look at the Omega in some glitterati top and pants that did ridiculous things for Tony’s butt and to Bucky’s common sense. 

“Tell you what, babydoll.” Once the photographer turned away, the Alpha snagged Tony around the waist and urged him towards the other side of the room—suite?-- hell, the place was bigger than his entire shop and apartment combined-- where they could breathe without the crush of people. “If I ever need someone to come by the shop and tell me how great I look all the time, I’ll hire you to post up on the counter and shout lecherous come ons my way, yeah?” 

“Does that pass for charming for mechanics?” Tony’s nose wrinkled in sheer, sassy delight. “Shouting lecherous come ons during working hours?” 

“So charming I might actually marry you for it.” Bucky swore and the Omega clapped both hands over his mouth so he wouldn’t shriek with laughter. “Now. Is there just photographers and rich people in this place or can we find some actual food?” 

“If by _food_ you mean bite sized pieces of fancy air pockets, sure.” Tony waved a waiter over and offered a tiny little puff pastry on a doily up to the Alpha. “How’s that taste?” 

“Like I’m gonna eat a whole pizza as soon as this is over.” Bucky made a face over the awkwardly spinach aroma. “Is this why you’re so petite, Tony? They don’t feed ya nothing at these parties?”

“Being short isn’t the same thing as being petite, thank you very much.” Tony popped another one of the spinach puffs in his mouth. “Besides, I'm pretty sure all of the hor d'oeuvre's go right to my waistline so--”

“They all go right to your _butt_ , and ain’t nobody complainin’ bout _that_.” Bucky drawled and Tony nearly died when he choked on the pastry. “Aw hell, c'mon and breathe easy Tony, it won’t look real good if you choke to death at the bank president’s kid’s third wedding, right?” 

“Engagement.” Tony wheezed and Bucky chuckled at him, then gathered him up close and patted gently at the Omega’s back until Tony managed to swallow. “It’s her third _engagement_ and don’t say that so loud. We’re all supposed to act like she isn’t lonely and desperate and literally grasping at straws because she’s terrified of being single at thirty.”

“Yikes.” Bucky grimaced. “Nothing wrong with being single at thirty, Omega. Better than marryin’ a bunch of times and failing at it, right? There's no harm in waiting for the right one to come along-- I'd rather wait forever than throw my heart at someone who don't want it. Even if I don’t get a mate till I’m old and gray, at least I’d know it was _real_ when I finally find 'em.” 

Tony’s dark eyes softened, and he reached up to brush his fingers over the Alpha’s cheek. “That is oddly romantic. You’d really wait forever for a mate and partner just to make sure it’s true love?” 

“Well yeah.” Bucky turned his nose into Tony’s palm, then rolled his eyes when a camera flashed nearby, no doubt capturing the unintentionally sweet moment. “Wouldn’t you?” 

“Honestly, I’m set to inherit so much money, I’ll most likely end up with a gold digger Alpha mate. My standing plan is to banish them to one of the West Coast houses and only see them at Christmas and maybe my heats.” Tony admitted and the Alpha’s jaw nearly unhinged in _shock_. “On the other hand, Ty and I were together for business and connection reasons, so in that situation I'd simply live my own life where ever I wanted, and make an appearance when Ty needed his Omega or a photo op.”

“Sweet thing, that's--” Bucky didn’t want to say _disgusting_ but the way his lip curled back into a fang baring sneer said it all. “Why would you settle for that?” 

“It’s how my parents do it.” The Omega pointed out a tad defensively. “And they’re just fine! They have separate living quarters in the house, and someone to coordinate their schedule so they are always available for specific social events together. Mama gets to do whatever she wants so long as it doesn’t embarrass the Stark name and Dad makes sure none of his indiscretions make it public. We spend all major holidays together, they are present for each others press events, and there’s minimal fighting. It’s all very...civil...” 

He stopped, faltered. “You know, that doesn’t sound very good when I’m explaining it to someone who didn’t grow up like me. What was _your_ parent’s bond like?” 

“Pops brought Ma coffee every morning.” Bucky said immediately. “She rubbed his feet when he got home from a long day working, but he washed up dishes after dinner. On Saturdays she made his favorite dinner and he cooked all the Sunday meals so Ma could rest. I used to hear them fight somethin’ terrible but they always made up before going to bed and holidays weren’t civil, they were a fuckin’ _party_. Noisy and chaos and too many people crammed into too small a house but no one really cared. We sure as hell weren’t rich but I don’t remember thinking we were poor either.:

The Alpha paused, then added, “And I never ever worried my parents didn’t love each other. Some days it was gross, had to throw a damn shoe at them and yell to go up to their rooms, even after we are all grown. Ma’s the prettiest Omega in the world to Pop, and she is pretty sure he’s the best Alpha too. They’re soulmates, Tony. Don’t gotta think about stuff being _civil_ when you’re soulmates.” 

“Huh.” Tony’s lips pulled down into a frown. “I don’t um-- I don’t think I ever realized what my parents had wasn’t normal.” 

“Shit, sugar I didn’t mean to talk bad about your parent’s bond, I just--” 

“No, it’s fine.” the Omega cut him off abruptly, and Bucky mentally kicked himself for being such an asshole. “It’s fine, but now I feel bad for being snarky about this party. Maybe she got into two marriages like my parent’s have and realized it wasn’t what she want and _this_ one is true love. We really should be celebrating it like it’s her first, shouldn’t we?” 

“I’ll agree t’that so long as you say we can celebrate it with better food than spinach puffs?” Bucky asked hopefully, and Tony’s frown softened into a sweet smile.

“You want to get out of here and just get some pizza?” 

“I could love you just for that suggestion, Tony.” That got another laugh out of the Omega and Bucky sighed in relief. Bonding conversation crisis averted, spinach puff appetizers were soon to be a thing of the past, and getting to see Tony open those pretty lips wide enough to cram several inches of meat lovers pizza into his mouth...

_...well... you know._

“Alright let me find the bride to be and wish her well and then we will…” Tony bit back a noise that might have been an actual growl when someone “Ah-yoo-hoo!”ed from across the suite and started hurrying their way. “Change of plan, we have to stick around for a minute. Non negotiable.”

“ _Ugh_.”

“Settle, please.” Tony smiled and pressed at Bucky's hand comfortingly. “Quick rundown, this is the head mistress of all things nosy, Mrs. Everhart. Her Alpha is State Senator Everhart and one time I saw her insult someone's dress and the woman left in tears. She can be brutal, so just smile and try not to snarl and then we can leave.”

“No promises on the not snarling.”

“ _Bucky_!” 

“Okay fine, I won’t snarl at the old lady.” Bucky hooked his left arm around Tony’s waist and tugged him in to press a kiss to his temple. “So long as you forgive me for sayin’ that stuff about your parents.” 

“You’re forgiven.” Tony’s purr was quiet and sweet and beautiful enough to make the Alpha growl in response, but then Tony _eep_!ed a little and jabbed at Bucky's side. “Stop that! No growling and no snarling and definitely don’t-- Oh Mrs. Everhart! Hello!” 

“Anthony Stark, here with a strange new Alpha only a few weeks after breaking things off with Tiberius? My oh my.” Mrs. Everhart was the sort of woman that left the entire world feeling judged and found wanting, severe eyes and posture that seemed almost militant, a tone of voice that brooked no argument and a cutting smile that wasn’t really a smile at all. “How do your parents feel about you moving on so quickly? And to someone so clearly un- versed in our particular level of society?” 

“Well ma’am, I--” 

“I can’t even begin to understand where the two of you would meet!” Bucky had never seen an honest to god monocle in his life, but Mrs. Everhart raised an honest to god _monocle_ to her eye and squinted at him in clear disapproval. “All the pretty ties in the world can’t buy class, darling, surely _you_ know that. Your Alpha must be particularly skilled in other areas to make up for it! How sad you’ve fallen so far to settle for such base entertainment!” 

If Bucky’s jaw had dropped when Tony talked about his expected reality of marriage, it all but disconnected and hit the floor when Mrs. Everhart not very subtly hinted that Tony kept him around for his bedroom skills. More shocking than the borderline innuendo was the way Tony didn’t even blink about it. The same Omega who turned scarlet just cos Bucky winked and called him bright eyes wasn’t remotely bothered by the old lady’s language and once again-- for at least the thousandth time in the last few weeks-- the Alpha was reminded that their worlds were very _very_ different. 

“Well I appreciate your concern, but I have to say the Senator must be _very_ busy lately if your mind is free to wonder about all the reasons why I chose this particular Alpha.” Tony answered smoothly and Mrs. Everhart’s eyes glittered meanly. “And since I’m sure it’s your curiosity and not blatant rudeness that has you forgetting to ask for an introduction, let me do the honors. Sweetheart, this is Mrs. Everhart, wife of State Senator Everhart and a dear friend of my family. Mrs. Everhart, this is my Alpha, James Buchanan Barnes.” 

“Ma’am.” Bucky’s greeting wasn’t quite as polite as it could have been and though he could have blamed it on how outrageously _rude_ super rich people could be, the truth was his brain was stuttering and stammering over Tony calling him _sweetheart_ and then _my Alpha._

_Wow_. 

“It's uh-- it's real nice'ta meet ya.” he floundered. “Real uh-- good to know you.”

“Oh listen to that, the Alpha can’t even put a proper sentence together. Not one for words, is he?” Mrs. Everhart raised a challenging eyebrow. “What a _shame_. Anthony, I always assumed you were brilliant and would therefore need at least a semi- intelligent partner but I suppose with Ty wanting nothing to do with you anymore, no other suitable parties are pursuing your charms. How unfortunate you’ve had to lower your standards so far.” 

Tony's quick wit slipped just a hitch, his eyes dimming over the dig at both his intelligence and his recent break up and _red_ sparked angry behind Bucky's temples when he saw the change. 

He could deal with the old bag talking down to _him_ , but he wasn't about to let her talk down to _Tony_ , 

_Hell no._

“Aw, it's real sweet for you t'be worried about me boring Tony with my lack'a words and fancy skills.” Bucky’s mind quit stuttering over Tony calling him _Alpha_ and this time when he spoke up, he drawled the words low and intentionally lazy. “But a pretty Omega like this keeps me and my tongue around for a wholly _different_ reason, you hear?”

“Me and Tony got more interestin' things to do besides _talk_ , ma'am.” the Alpha kept going when Mrs. Everhart gasped in shock. “But m'sure you know how that is. Don't imagine you and that pool boy a'yours do much talkin' either. Sure you don't keep _him_ around for his way with words.”

“Well!” There went the monocle, popping off Mrs. Everhart’s judgey fucking eye. “Well, I never--! How dare--!”

Bucky smiled now, but it wasn’t a good one. “You’re over there talkin’ bout class and standards, but you snotty ladies always prefer someone rough and tumble when you get bored with your life, don’t you? I’d bet good money your pool boy or massage guy or landscaper is an Alpha just like me, and if he ain’t, I bet you’ll be tradin’ up real soon. You’re tryna come off classy but you just look six shades of fuckin’ _jealous_.”

“ _Oh_!” 

“And as far as suitable parties chasing after Tony?” Bucky parted his lips and showed off those wicked fangs, pointed and _dangerous_ as he licked over the edges. “It ain't so much they aren’t interested anymore. They just know I’ll rip their throat out for looking at _my_ Omega.” 

“I think that’s enough, dear!” Tony said loudly, _frantically_ , physically dragging Bucky away from the conversation. “Perhaps we should find the bride to be and see about--” 

“Tony!”

Another Nosy Nellie spotted them before Tony could fully escape from the still sputtering Mrs. Everhart, and he groaned under his breath. “Maybe you don’t give this one a heart attack? Calm down, Bucky.” 

“Sweetheart, no Alpha worth the name would stand there and let someone talk that way.” Bucky wasn’t the least bit sorry, and his words edged in a snarl. “Don’t care how much money you got, there’s such a thing as common decency and that woman is sorely _lackin_ '.”

“You didn’t have to insinuate she sleeps around with the pool boy! Or that she’s going to trade him in for one who looks like Tony snarled right back. “Whether it’s true or not, her husband is a _state senator_!” 

“Tony, I don’t give a damn who her husband is, no one should talk to other people like that!” 

“But they do!” There was the flash of defiance, the flash of anger the Alpha had seen at the wine bar, Tony showing _furious_ that someone would act in his stead without first asking, that someone would assume they knew what he wanted or needed. “ _These_ people talk like that and you can’t let it bother you! I’ve been around people like that my entire life and I have always had to deal with it, just like everyone else has to deal with it, it’s just how things are! Social graces and respecting someone’s social standing is important, Bucky. You can’t be rude like that, it’s unforgiveable.” 

“Unforgiveable.” Bucky repeated. “Tony, are you kidding me? Were you even listening to what she was sayin’? And my response was unforgiveable?!” 

“She didn’t mean anything terrible!” Tony insisted. “She’s just nosy and opiniated and no one’s ever told her to shut up before! You have to let it go!” 

The Omega spread his hands helplessly. “You know how old women are!” 

“My Grammy crocheted blankets for babies at the hospital and baked me cookies when I came over.” the Alpha retorted. “Didn’t insult my smarts and act like I was embarrassin’ my self because of who I brought around! If this is how things are around here, you need to know better people! She sucks!” 

“You--!” Tony started, and then stopped, started again and then narrowed his eyes at the Alpha. “You aren’t mad because of what she said about you.” 

“What?” Bucky frowned down at him. “No, I don’t give a damn what the old bag thinks about me. She was staring at my dick like she’d never seen a proper package before. Horny cow. I’m mad cos of what she said about _you_!” 

“...you said all that because of how she talked to me?” Tony couldn’t actually believe it, and his voice fell to a near whisper as all the irritation and anger washed right out of him. “You made a scene like that to defend me? Showed her your fangs and-- and everything?” 

“You’re lookin’ at me like no one’s stood up for you before, Tony.” Bucky set his jaw stubbornly. “Don’t do that, makes me feel like I’m the first half decent Alpha you’ve ever met.” 

“Well I mean--” The Omega gestured around the room and then back up at Bucky. “That was really all for me?” 

“Aw hell, sweetheart, you’re killin’ me with those puppy dog eyes.” Bucky mumbled. “Course I said it all for you.” 

“Bucky.” Tony whispered in awe. “I-- I um--” 

“Tony!” The new person finally found them, bubbly and outgoing and clapping her hands in obvious excitement over what was _sure_ to be good gossip. “I heard you were bringing a new Alpha around! Introduce me! How long have you been dating! How did you meet?” 

Tony was still looking up at Bucky with wide eyes and a rising blush in his cheek so it was up to the Alpha to clear his throat and play the part, smiling cordially at the pretty Beta and answering, “Name’s Bucky Barnes, ma’am. Tony and I have been together about a month now.” 

Whatever the Beta’s name was went in one ear and right out the other and the Alpha only managed to tear himself back away from Tony’s gaze in time to hear, “--you meet?” 

“The usual way these things happen.” he said automatically. “Angel fell from heaven right into my lap and I would’ve been real dumb not to try and hold on.” 

“Oh my gosh _that’s_ soooo sweet!” the Beta squealed. “I can’t believe I didn’t know, usually I know everything about who is dating who and I’d _certainly_ remember meeting you and oh my gosh, I bet you send him flowers every day at that silly little library downtown, our Tony is such a high maintenance Omega, Ty used to shower him in gifts, you know. Tony! Has Bucky gotten you anything sparkly yet?!” 

Tony went a little stiff at the mention of him being high maintenance and right after making a mental note to _definitely_ spoil the Omega a little bit, Bucky said smoothly, “You know what? I think we’re going to find the bride to be and then cut out a little early. Maybe you and Tony can catch up some other time.”

The Beta was still talking as Bucky steered Tony away and towards the crowd of people near the bride. No more than forty five minutes in a high society party had to be some sort of record but Bucky was pretty sure it was about forty three minutes too long and he wanted to _leave_. 

“You know, you’re pretty smooth with all that.” Tony finally said several minutes later after he’d paused to kiss the bride and shake the groom-to-be’s hand. “With the story of how we met, I mean.” 

“Nothing smooth about telling the truth, Tony.” Bucky side eyed a plate of what looked like mini pizzas, then regretfully passed them up. _Real_ pizza was needed, not bite sized fancy fakery. “Does it bother you?” 

“No.” the Omega said slowly. “It's just not really true. I know we’re pretending and everything but it would be nice if at least the meet up was the truth. I came up to you in some crowded bar and asked for protection.” 

“Isn’t that what I said?” Bucky said, mock confused. “You showed up looking like a goddamn angel and once I remembered how to breathe I fell to my knees and offered you the world-- sounds the same, don't it?” 

“I think you’re ridiculous.” Tony informed the Alpha, and when Bucky laughed, he laughed too but only _quietly_ cos he couldn’t really tell if Bucky had been joking about anything that had been said tonight and that-- that was doing things to Tony’s heart. “And I’m sure Mrs. Everhart thinks you’re ridiculous too.” 

“Yeah, well she can suck it.” Bucky waggled his eyebrows. “And I'm pretty sure she _wants_ to suck it so...”

“You are the worst.”

“ _You_ invited me.”

They were intercepted another three times since apparently Tony Stark coming round with a new Alpha was important news and by the time they made it through a third round of identical questions, Tony could feel a migraine pounding at the back of his skull. 

Sure he’d noticed how fake so much of this was with Ty, and yes the Omega had muttered under his breath at some of the rude topics and of course he’d sort of hated the appearances and the social graces and all the expected behavior but… but this was just how it was. He was a Stark and that came with a certain level of responsibilities about life and society...and… marriage…

 _Damn_ Bucky’s observations about this whole thing were bugging him and suddenly Tony just wanted to run away, wanted to ditch the party and stuff his face with non fancy food and laugh out loud at some of the Alpha’s stories and curl up in the soft leather jacket Bucky had carried him in last time. 

He just wanted to _go_ , wanted to get away and as the minutes ticked away into hours, the Omega began to feel more and more panicky. 

_He’d never realized how trapped he was in this life._

Bucky was good though, the Alpha on top of every question he could answer, deflecting the nosier ones with minimal growling, an arm steady at Tony’s waist and even the occasional forehead kiss when they were congratulated on being a beautiful couple. 

Bucky was _good_ and Tony was forever grateful that out of all the Alphas he could have asked to save him from Ty that night, at least he’d picked a good one. 

Possibly even the _best_ one. 

“So is it safe to duck out or do I hafta win another round of twenty questions?” the Alpha squeezed at Tony’s hand and Tony startled back to the present. “Tasha texted and there’s a problem with one of the bikes that's supposed to be picked up first thing in the morning. Can we try for pizza another night?” 

“Um, sure.” Tony blinked a few times then smiled up at the Alpha. “Sure. Pizza after our next date is fine, I know this great place along the Promenade that serves a gluten free cauliflower crust--” 

“Yeah, I’m gonna stop you right there.” Bucky held up his other hand and Tony chuckled at him. “I need pizza, baby doll. Not shit that tastes like glue.” 

“I said _gluten_.” 

“And I said glue. The point is--” the Omega sighed over loud and Bucky bent to touch their foreheads together. “The point is, I meant real pizza. Messy and dripping in cheese and overloaded with toppings and all greasy and gross. You’ll have to wear a bib cos it will definitely ruin this pretty shirt right here.” 

“And what five star restaurant would we be eating that at?”

“Oh no sugar, we’ll just order it into the shop.” Bucky leaned away and Tony had to quiet the urge to protest and ask the Alpha to come right back. “You can eat it on my work bench while I impress you with my amazing mechanical skills and pile of too many wrenches.” 

“Wait, are you serious?” 

Bucky misjudged Tony’s hesitation as dislike and backpedaled, “You don’t gotta, Tony. I just thought maybe it would be easier for us to get to know each other outside of all this stuff. You could help if you wanted--” Tony’s eyebrows about flew off his face and the Alpha rushed to correct, “Or not. Most Omega’s don’t like to get greasy and you’re so damn pretty I wouldn’t want to spoil--” 

“Bucky.” Tony covered the Alpha’s mouth with his hand and asked _very_ seriously, “Bucky, would you let me help? Because I’ve read at least a thousand books about advanced mechanics and I know Omegas aren’t allowed to have hard labor jobs but I’ve always wanted my own set of wrenches and to get dirty beneath a car and everything like that.”

“Keep talking about getting dirty beneath a car and my pants are gonna get real indecent.” Bucky mumbled teasingly against Tony’s palm. “And sheesh, don’t even get me started on how you'd look handlin' the _wrenches_.”

“So I could help?” Tony whispered hopefully, and Bucky whispered back, “Oh sure thing, sweet thing.” 

“Okay I’m gonna kiss you now.” the Omega decided. “Because you know-- cameras? And people-- the um-- the people think we’re dating. So we should-- I’m going to--” 

Whatever else Tony was going to stammer out as an excuse was quieted behind Bucky’s mouth, the Alpha bending down to seal their lips together the second he knew Tony wanted a kiss too. And _yeah_ , the kiss could be blamed on the cameras and people watching but really none of that fucking mattered cos Bucky had been leaning in to kiss the Omega the second Tony had started talking about _wrenches_. 

“Oh oh oh.” Tony sighed like he’d never been kissed before, and Bucky moaned like he was tasting heaven on his tongue and maybe both things were true because kissing Ty had never been half as exciting as this nearly chaste kiss with Bucky, and kissing Tony was somehow better than the best pizza Bucky had ever even imagined…

...and then the cameras flashed behind them and there was a smattering of applause and light laughter and the rest of the room came rushing back into focus. 

“That was…” Tony touched his lips where they were still stinging from the kiss. “...convincing.” _Incredible. Mind blowing. Come back and do it again._ “Thank you.” 

The Alpha didn’t manage an answer, but Bucky’s eyes were bleeding red, chest heaving as he swept a lock of hair off Tony’s forehead and then wrapped his palm around the base of the Omega’s neck. 

“B-Bucky?” Tony squeaked. “Should we go?” 

Still no answer, but Bucky held Tony right up against his side as they got into the elevator and the entire ride down to the ground floor. 

“I’ll call you.” the Omega whispered when they reached the car and Bucky nodded and finally smiled a little bit, blew Tony a kiss like it wasn’t killing him to walk away. 

“See you soon, bright eyes.” 

****************

The next day Tony was working, yawning into his hand at his desk and trying to stop from doodling hearts and little cupids around an Alpha symbol in his notebook.

The library was quiet and hot and his mind was still on last night, still on that damn kiss, still wondering round and round if that was how Bucky _fake_ kissed how good was the Alpha when he actually meant it and _more_ importantly would he grab Tony’s ass with his regular hand or his silver hand and if Bucky’s foot was a size eleven and everything was supposed to be _proportionate_ then just how _indecent would_ the Alpha’s pants have gotten if they’d kept talking about wrenches...

Tony blushed when he realized his heart shaped doodles had started skewing dick shaped and slightly pornographic, and when noise and giggles erupted from the front desk he decided to be grateful for the interruption and go see what was happening.

Maybe some library themed shenanigans would keep his mind off of Bucky bent over a car and working on the engine and wiping grease from his hands and along the butt of super tight pants...

 _Maybe_.

“Oh.” Tony’s eyes popped wide in surprise when he went up to the front and found the Alpha of his daydreams standing right there in full tight jeans, fitted t-shirt and leather jacket _glory_. “Bucky?”

“Heya sweet thing.” Bucky grinned, all fangy and honestly _fantastic_ as he pulled a dozen roses out from behind his back. “I thought I’d bring you some flowers.” 

“Oh fuck me that’s so romantic.” one of the other librarians whispered dramatically and Tony turned tomato red right to the tip of his ears. “And look at his thighs in those _jeans_!” 

“Why um--” he took the flowers and buried his face in them to at least try and hide his blush. “Why did you bring me flowers?” 

“Not cos you’re high maintenance.” Bucky leaned in close so the words were just between him and the Omega. “Just cos I knew you’d look real beautiful with rose petals on your cheeks.” 

“O--Oh?” 

“Plus it’s our one month anniversary.” the Alpha straightened up and said a little louder. “First date, one month ago. Changed my life, sugar.” 

“ _Oh_.” 

“C’mere, right here baby doll.” Bucky tipped Tony’s chin up with one finger and lay a gentle gentle kiss on his lips, and another girl clutched at her chest like her heart was giving out from sheer sappiness. “Call me tonight?” 

“Um.. yes?” 

“Alright then.” 

It certainly wasn’t just Tony ogling the Alpha as Bucky walked out of the library and it certainly wasn’t just Tony who gasped a little when Bucky straddled his bike and started it up with a roar. The moment the bike was out of sight the room exploded into giggles, screeches and about a million questions, and Tony just hid his face in the flowers and hurried back to his desk where he could melt into a puddle without any interruptions. 

**From Bucky** : _How was that? Convincing?_

 **From Tony** : _I’m pretty sure you’ve fueled all their wet dreams for the next six months. They are still talking about how tight your jeans were and whether your bike size is proportionate to your everything else size._

 **From Bucky** : _Aw hell sugar, I just laughed so hard I almost dropped the bike in an intersection. Warn me before you sass like that._

 **From Tony** : _I absolutely will not._

The flowers set right up on his desk where everyone could see and as the long afternoon dragged on into eternity, Tony went back to doodling...

...and back to wishing the Alpha actually _wanted_ him. 


	4. Chapter 4

“Red Star Rides, what the hell do you want?” Natasha shifted the phone to her other ear so she could keep cutting chunks out of a sweet apple and feeding it to the darling Omega sprawled down by her feet. “Oh hey Rumlow. Yeah, I knew it was you, I recognize the number.” 

Clint quirked an interested eyebrow at the phone and motioned for Tasha to take the call, that he was fine waiting a minute, but the Alpha only rolled her eyes and cut him another piece of the apple, holding it out off the tip of her knife so he could eat it.

“Fuck me, you look so hot with your tongue all over my knife.” she hissed and the Omega bared his fangs and growled playfully. “So hot Clint, you’re killing me.” 

“ _Nat, are you even listening to me_?” came the annoyed voice on the other end of the phone. “ _I need my bike back_!”

“Yes! I heard you!” The Alpha sighed into the phone, annoyed that responsibilities like _work_ was taking her attention away from Clint. “And yeah I’m aware we’ve had your bike for a week and yeah, I’m aware you want it for the ride tomorrow night.” she offered Clint another bite. “Well, I don’t _know_ when it will be done. It’s done when it’s done, isn’t this how these things work?” 

“Tell him to fuck off.” Clint complained in a hushed whisper. “I’m hungry and you aren’t feeding me fast enough.”

“Nah. If Brock knew you were here with me, he’d be a jealous bitch and keep me on the phone longer so I wouldn’t get to spend any time with you.” Natasha was a tiny Alpha and Clint was big for an Omega but that didn’t stop her from hooking her calves around his neck and dragging him up between her knees before she went back to the phone. “Listen _darlin_ ’, I don’t give two shits about the Omega you’re trying to impress with your ride. But I can promise if you get on that thing and the back wheel falls off cos you wanted it before Bucky was finished, you will definitely _not_ be getting laid. No Omega wants a knothead Alpha with a busted bike.”

“You’re right about that.” Clint agreed under his breath, then sat up on his knees to run strong, teasing up the inside of the Alpha’s jeans, waggling his eyebrows when Natasha wriggled on the seat and crooned invitingly. “Get off the phone, Alpha.” 

The big Omega leaned in and shoved his nose into Tasha’s zipper, mouthed hot at the seam of her jeans and Natasha slouched back in the chair, threw her head back in an attempt to cover a moan and told Rumlow, “Look, I have no interest in whatever you just said, so why don’t we call this conversation over and move on with our lives?” 

Brock shouted something over the line and Natasha bit her lip bloody when her Omega only pushed closer. “Yeah, I know I’m the worst receptionist in the world. Bucky doesn’t pay me to be nice, he pays me to keep fuckers like you from bothering him while he works.” 

“Oh yeah, yeah uh-huh I’ll tell Bucky you called.” Tasha nodded absentmindedly, far too distracted by Clint pushing her shirt up and kissing over her belly button ring. As far as she was concerned, the Omega was the perfect epitome of sugar and spice and everything nice-- wickedly funny and heartbreakingly sweet, rolling with muscles and so so _soft_ when he came up to press their mouths together in a tender kiss. 

_God_ , she loved him. She loved Clint and if she could only convince the Omega that all this sexy stuff actually meant something and wasn’t just about a booty call...

“I said I’d tell him you called!” she snarled when Brock kept yammering in her ear. “Keep talking and I’ll douse that stupid over compensatin’ crotch rocket in paint thinner and--” 

“Um, hello?” 

A new voice, a _quiet_ voice interrupted the Alpha’s tirade and Natasha stopped mid breath, mouth hanging open and eyes wide when she saw who was standing in the lobby. 

Clint stopped trying to get under Nat’s shirt when she went so still, and when he popped up from behind the counter even _he_ stopped and stared. 

“Ahem. Um, hello. Hi there.” There had never been an Omega looking so out of place than Tony did right then and there standing in the foyer of Red Star Rides. His black jeans were bedazzled along the pockets, simple tee shirt edged with lace and tailored to fit just right at his waist, hair combed and a hint of mascara making his lashes look ridiculous. 

He was almost painfully pretty, like one of those paintings of a gorgeous orchid growing out of mangled concrete that artists always pretended were deep and sincere instead of just cliché. Except Tony wasn't cliche he was utterly _precious_ and when he offered a smile to the pair behind the counter, both Alpha and Omega just _gaped_ back at him. 

“Bucky asked me to come by and see the shop today at three.” Tony kept trying for politeness though it was entirely unnerving being stared at like that. “My name is Tony Stark, I'm sure Bucky put me on the visitors list?” 

“Um--” Clint blinked a few times and then pointed towards the double doors that led into the actual garage. “Uh--that--Bucky--”

“That--” Natasha pointed too. “...yeah…doors...?”

“Well thank you very much.” Tony smiled and Clint made a wounded, wheezing noise of surprise. “It was nice to meet you both.”

The Omega turned and sashayed away towards the doors and after no more than three seconds of indecision, first Natasha and then Clint followed after him, making absolutely no attempt to be subtle, and even less attempt to stop gawking. 

“Hey.” Clint cleared his throat and reached for Tasha’s hand. “I’m that pretty, right?” 

“My love, you are absolutely stunning.” the Alpha squeezed at his fingers automatically without looking away from the slight _jiggle_ in Tony's distracting little wiggle. 

“I mean, I’m not pocket sized like most Omegas, or like _that_ particular Omega.” he pointed out. “Or have fangs that are basically fashioned from porcelain. And _apparently_ I'm not interesting enough to keep you from grinding on college kids.” 

“Bucky told you about me dancing?” Natasha grimaced when Clint nodded. “Snitches get stitches, I'm gonna brain that mouthy Alpha on a wrench.”

Clint made a disgruntled, still uncertain noise and the Alpha was quick to add, “You might not have fangs cut from porcelain darling, but yours are much better suited for biting at my throat.”

“And you like how I can pick you up, right?” 

“I _adore_ how you can throw me up against the wall and do what you wish, yes.” the Alpha tapped at her chin thoughtfully as Tony pushed through the double doors and disappeared into the garage. “Clint, what the hell is someone like that doing here?” 

“Gonna see the Bronco, I guess.” Clint shrugged, then tugged at his Alpha’s hand until Natasha snapped from ogling Tony and pinned that beguiling green gaze on him. “Um....Tasha? Are you serious about...?”

“Pretty Omega.” Natasha planted her hand in Clint's chest and backed the Omega back up into the wall, pinned him there with a fingertip and a flash of fangs. “If you would _listen_ when I tell you just how badly I want you to be mine, then we wouldn't have to pretend this whole thing is just about sex and you wouldn't be even the _slightest_ bit concerned over whether or not I think Bronco's new Omega is worth a second glance.”

And then with a smile that was almost a snarl, “And by the way, if you weren't staring at Tony's ass quite so hard, you would have noticed I only scent _curious_ and not turned on. You are the only Omega for me, Clint. And when you get your shit together and finally call me _yours_ , we won't ever have to have this conversation again.”

“Oh yeah?” Clint wet his lips, ran his tongue over the sharp end of his over sized fangs and fought the urge to purr when the Alpha's green eyes immediately dropped to watch. “Not turned on, huh?”

“Unlike _you_.” Natasha grinned and leaned in for a slow kiss. “You started scenting horny the second you saw that Omega. Are you trying to make me jealous?”

“Ummmmm….” Clint was sugar and spice and a whole lotta _snark_ so of course he answered, “ _Yes_.” 

“Bratty, mouthy, trashy--” Natasha yanked the Omega down and _devoured_ him in a kiss and Clint kept right on laughing at her as the double door swung closed and they were once again alone to do whatever they wanted…

… besides answer phones, of course. 

********

“Bucky?” Tony took a few steps into the garage and stared around in awe at the row of cars parked up against the far wall, the assortment of bikes in various stages of repair, a whole section covered in pictures and scattered awards and there in the center of the checkered floor--

\-- “Oh my gosh, it’s a 1932 Ford Flathead Roadster.” the Omega breathed. “Oh my _gosh_.” 

The car was _gorgeous_ , all sleek lines and alluring curves, flames painted along the body in bold yellow and red, the background a glossy black that sparkled beneath the bright garage lights, and the engine _savage_ where it sat open and gleaming. 

The Omega tried hard to quiet a little scream of excitement, but in the act of covering his mouth, he ended up dropping both his bag and his phone and it clattered off the floor and echoed around the garage. 

“Tash, is that you?” Bucky called from beneath the car. “Hey, what time is it? Tony’s gonna be here in a little bit and I gotta get cleaned up. Don’t think an Omega that fancy needs to see me all greasy and gross.” 

There was no answer so the Alpha slid out from beneath the Roadster and heaved himself up off the creeper to standing. “Tasha--- oh hell, you ain’t Tasha.” 

“That’s a 1932 Ford Flathead Roadster.” the Omega practically moaned, sounding so close to damn _turned on_ that Bucky had to shift on his feet and clear his throat a few times.

“Yeah sugar, you uh—you know what one of these is?” 

“I know it was the one of the first cars to have a V-8 engine.” Phone apparently forgotten-- and Alpha apparently _far_ less interesting than the car-- Tony walked in a slow circle around the vehicle, reciting facts rapid fire as he recalled everything he’d ever read about it. “Top speed of 65 miles per hour when maxed out, one of only three styles of car put out between ‘32 and ‘34, this was the model 18, they made this engine for almost twenty years before finally phasing it out in ‘53.” 

Bucky raised his eyebrows and picked up a rag to wipe the grease from his hands. “Oh yeah? What else do you know?” 

“We aren’t even sure how many of these were even built since Ford’s record numbers from that year include both the 4 and the 8, but it’s a bonafide and highly sought after classic, almost every one still in existence is logged in a registry. Original price for a basic model was under $500 but to purchase one now is an easy hundred thousand.” 

“Sounds about right.” the Alpha leaned back against the beautiful two door coupe and waited for the Omega to make another pass around. “What else?” 

“What else.” Tony wet his lips, dug his little fangs into his bottom lip. “I could talk about this forever. But how did _you_ get one? I’ve wanted to drive one of these my entire life and I’ve only ever seen them from a distance. How do _you_ have one?” 

“Oh it’s not mine, sweet thing.” Bucky pointed out easily. “If _you_ don’t got one of these things, do you really think I could afford one?” 

“Oh I didn’t mean to sound like I didn’t think you couldn’t afford one.” Snapped out of his daze by the worry of being _rude_ , the Omega finally managed a real look at Bucky. “No please don’t think that. I was just saying…” 

Voice trailing off, head tilting in _interest_ , all of Tony’s carefully worded politeness went right out the door when he caught sight of _mechanic_ Bucky, all torn jeans and too fitted black tank top and _oh_ look at those arms and who knew grease could be so damn _sexy_? 

“Oh my.” the Omega’s eyes flew open wide, mouth parting over a stuttered gasp. “ _Alpha_.” 

“Shit, sugar.” Bucky tried not to snarl but it came out anyway, low and _wanting_ when the garage air soaked with the scent of _slick_ Omega. “Go easy on a fella, huh? Thought you weren’t even comin’ till later and now you’re lookin’ at me like that? Alpha's ain't mean to handle that sorta attention babydoll, have _mercy_.”

“I came at exactly the time you told me to come.” Tony didn’t bother pretending like he wasn’t staring at Bucky’s left arm, at the patchwork scars and the way the metal limb gleamed against the tan skin, the bold airbrushed tattoos matched in blues like the Alpha’s eyes. “Bucky…you are... wow. _Wow_.”

“Yeah you-- you're right on time. Um, you wanna help me with the--” Bucky tugged at the front of his jeans and cursed under his breath when Tony's gaze dropped to follow the motion. “-- you wanna work on me? I mean work on the-- the car with--”

 _Shit_ , the garage was not the place to mount the Omega and Bucky needed to think of something different _quick_ before he acted on the damn impulse and did something stupid.

“You could help me with roadster and maybe I could show you a few tricks for fixing up an engine.” He blurted all in a rush. “If you want to get dirty--” _nope, don't say that._ “--I mean, if you wanted to-- yeah. If you wanted to.”

Good _god_ this Omega made Bucky stupid, _someone send help._

“I would love to help you with the car.” Tony’s eyes sparked like whiskey warm honey, like gold in the dark brown and Bucky’s mouth went dry like the damn Sahara. He was parched and he was dying and the only cure would be a kiss, _please oh please_ he needed a kiss. “If you don’t mind teaching me, that is. I’d love to work on the car with you, Bucky. More than anything." 

Okay, maybe the garage _was_ the place to mount the Omega, _ho-ho-holy crap._

“I need a minute, maybe though?” the Omega decided shyly. “I um-- just to catch my breath. I wasn't really prepared to see this car or-- or _you_ and now I need a minute. Is there a restroom close by?”

Bucky’s blood pressure was actually going to sky rocket, he was going to give himself an aneurysm. There had never been _anything_ more gorgeous than Tony right this second looking like he was gonna get wet right through his pants because of a damn _car._

“Bathroom's that-a-way.” the Alpha jerked his thumb towards the back wall, tried for sentences like he wasn't literally strangling from the inside out coshe'd completely forgotten how to _breathe_. “Take uh-- take all the minutes you need, baby. I'm not going anywhere.”

“Thank you.” Tony snapped his head up from where his gaze had been lingering rather _south,_ his focus either on the outline of Bucky’s dick behind his zipper or the flames painstakingly painted along the roadster and honestly, it was a toss up to know which one the Alpha preferred.

Pretty Omega checking out his package? _Sure._

Pretty Omega going half horny over a car? _Yes please._

“Thank you.” The Omega said again, so so _beautiful_ when he was flustered and shy and it was finally enough to detract from Bucky being hard enough to hammer nails, enough to detract him from the roar of **mine** making his fangs fucking ache in his jaw. 

“Why don’t you put on a pair of coveralls?” Thankfully, the Alpha managed not to growl the words and with another few breaths the moment eased back to something at least _bearable_. “Cos you are damn cute in that little t shirt, but I’d sure hate to see it get dirty.”

“These are my scrubbiest clothes, though!” Tony pointed down to his jeans, taking the chance to count to about a _billion_ and try to convince his body to behave. Getting slick in the middle of a garage cos ~~his~~ the Alpha had some grease on his forearm was embarrassingly slutty and Tony couldn't decide if he wanted to run away and hide or tilt his head and _purr_. “These pants are actual denim!” 

“And they are _very_ scrubby.” Bucky tried hard not to laugh. “But even my jeans don’t survive this sorta work so I doubt yours will either. Go grab one of the coveralls hanging by the door and join me under here, alright?” 

Well, if the sight of the Omega gaping at the car had been enough to give Bucky a mild heart attack, seeing Tony come back from the bathroom nearly swallowed up in a pair of coveralls made the Alpha consider calling an undertaker right then and there. 

He was going to die, he just knew it. 

Put him in a coffin and bury him six feet under. 

Stick in a fork in him, the Alpha was got-dang _done_. 

Death by Omega, what a way to go. 

The coveralls had to be rolled four and five times around Tony’s ankles so he could walk, scrunched far far up on his elbows and still sliding down to cover his slim fingers and even though the Omega had tightened the belt as tight as possible around his waist, it still was baggy by his hips and butt. 

And Bucky was going to die. He was just fucking _doomed._ The universe was not a fair place and it was all this Omega’s fault. 

“Ready?” he asked, like he didn’t want to beat on his chest and howl because the name tag “ _Bucky_ ” was sitting right over Tony’s heart. “You ever been beneath a car before?” 

“No.” Tony shoved his hands in the coverall pockets and grinned up at the Alpha. “But I’m _very_ excited to get there.” 

“Come on then.” the Alpha motioned to the floor of the garage and tried not to sound half as dumb as he currently felt. “This thing is called a creeper, you know why?” 

“Cos you use it to creep under cars and see up their chassis?” Tony guessed and Bucky laughed out loud. “What! That seems like a real thing!” 

“It’s a real thing.” Bucky couldn’t resist a feather soft kiss at the Omega’s forehead before he slid under the car right alongside Tony and handed him a wrench. “Alright, here’s what we’re going to do….” 

********

“It seems sacrilegious to eat pizza on these seats.” Hours later, Tony sounded a tad mournful as he shoved another bite of dripping, greasy, cheesy and ridiculously piled with toppings pizza into his mouth. “I mean, this car is a limited edition classic and I’m spilling _sauce_ on it!” 

“Don’t worry about that.” In the drivers side seat of the roadster, Bucky just shook his head and picked a new piece from the box. “Guy who owns this car is having the upholstery replaced _after_ I get all the engine and body work done. No sense in paying all that money for pretty seats when I’m still tearing up the dashboard, you know what I mean?” 

“I still feel guilty.” the Omega reached over and dumped several pieces of pineapple onto Bucky’s plate. “Also, _you_ should feel guilty about eating pineapple with pizza.” 

“ _You_ should feel guilty about not speaking up when I asked you what you wanted.” Bucky countered and Tony giggled a little. “I’m from Brooklyn, baby doll, you’re lucky I didn’t put anchovies on the damn thing.” 

“I would have thrown them at you.” Tony said seriously and the Alpha answered equally seriously, “You’d never risk dirtying the roadster.” and Tony huffed in mock annoyance. 

And then after a moment, “I can’t believe you get to do this every day. Work on cars and eat good food and make your own hours. I can’t imagine being able to do what I wanted all the time. Or even part of the time. It's incredible.”

“You like working at the library, don’t you?” Bucky passed over a bread stick and grinned when Tony practically moaned over the first bite. “Isn’t that getting to do what you want every day?” 

“Yeah, but the library is…” Tony hesitated. “...that’s _Omega_ work, you know? I’m the only Omega in my circle of acquaintances that has a job and I’m pretty sure the only reason my parents let me get it was because it’s _Omeg_ a work. Simple and easy, clean and safe, and doesn’t really require a bunch of brain power.” 

“I--” the Alpha didn’t really know what to say to that. “Hell Tony, everyone knows Omegas are smarter than us fuckin’ knotheads, I can’t figure out where that stereotype of you guys needin' soft jobs came from.” 

“We _are_ smarter than Alphas.” Tony agreed promptly. “But regardless, no Alpha would hire an Omega to do _this_ sort of work and especially not a high society Omega. Not a _Stark._ You know I got politely laughed out of six different interviews at three tech firms, the university, an internship and the first library I applied to once they found out who my Dad was? Laughed right out of the interview. They couldn’t believe I wanted a job and weren’t willing to risk my Dad’s wrath if anything happened.”

“Would your Pops really go after your workplace if something happened to you?” 

“My Dad…” For the first time in hours, Tony’s smile dimmed. “Honestly, I don’t know if even Dad knows I’m working at the library. Mama was the one who called and gave the familial approval for me to get the job.”

“Can’t imagine bein’ so damn rich and still so locked down.” Bucky shook his head. “Real sorry about that, sugar.” 

“I feel like I didn’t notice most of it until I met you.” the Omega admitted softly. “Breaking up with Ty this time around I decided I was going to do something different and then I met you and our lives aren’t anything alike, you aren’t anything like anyone I know and uh--” 

Tony’s dark eyes dropped to Bucky’s left arm and lingered over the bright red star painted onto the Alpha’s shoulder. “--you make me realize things I had been ignoring before now. It’s interesting. _You're_ interesting.”

“ _I’m_ interesting?” Bucky bared his fangs in a teasing smile, then reached over and wiped a smear of pizza sauce from the corner of the Omega’s mouth, a little bit of grease from Tony’s cheek. “Tony, I’m pretty sure you’re bout a thousand times more interesting than I could ever hope to be.” 

“I’m eating the best, most messy pizza I’ve ever had.” Tony pointed out. “Sitting in the front seat of a car I’ve only seen from behind velvet ropes and in magazines. I’m wearing coveralls because apparently my _most_ scrubby jeans just won’t cut it. And I actually have grease beneath my nails because I spent the day working. _You_ win the interesting award.” 

“I do appreciate the grease under your nails, but you still got a little more right here.” the Alpha chuckled and leaned in to rub his thumb at Tony’s forehead too. “Don’t get me wrong, grease is a good look on you but it doesn’t really match that clean white T and fuckin’ bedazzled jeans.” 

“My jeans aren’t bedazzled! They're just decorated!” Tony laughed out and rubbed his head into Bucky’s palm. “Don’t be jealous!” 

“Sweet thing, I am not at all jealous of your _decorated_ jeans.” the Alpha said blandly, but his breath caught when the Omega sorta nuzzled at him, so with a quick check to make sure his hands weren’t too messy, Bucky gave in to the temptation to ruffle up Tony’s thick hair, groaning softly when the strands slid like silk through his fingers. “Fuck, I love your hair. How do you get it so pretty?” 

“My hair gel is made with 24 karat gold.” the Omega wasn’t joking at all, but Bucky still laughed and pulled gently gently until Tony came close enough to bump noses, to rest their foreheads together and share their air. 

“Bucky.” Tony’s heart was pounding, his throat tight and rose scent shimmering in _anticipation_ as the Alpha’s lips brushed over his in a barely there kiss. “Today has been incredible. More fun than I've had in ages, and maybe ever in my life. Thank you.” 

“S’just cars, Tony.” Bucky murmured. “Just gettin' dirty and tryna fix a thing.”

“It's not just cars.” The Omega shook his head and their mouths met just barely again. “Not just fixing things. This feels like-- maybe like _freedom_. Being able to do what I want with no one telling me it’s not acceptable for an Omega. And I got to do it with someone I am falling in--” 

He hesitated again and Bucky’s blue eyes went nearly _molten_ before darkening red, his chest vibrating in a rumble of approval. 

“... I got to do it with someone fun.” Tony finished and the Alpha nodded in understanding. “Someone I can call my _friend_. Thank you. Thank you for this. For everything about today.”

“Oh sure thing, sweet thing.” Bucky whispered, and coaxed the Omega over the console and into his lap. “Anytime you want to come around and look fuckin’ gorgeous in my coveralls and do my work for me--” Tony laughed against another carefully chaste kiss. “-- you are more than welcome, yeah? Anytime. I mean it.” 

Tony sighed and inched closer and the garage went quiet as the Alpha and Omega just sat together, content to be close, content to just _be_ in a way that words didn’t quite explain. 

And then the silence was broken in spectacular fashion as Natasha and Clint made it back from dinner… 

“I’ve never been closer to quoting Beauty and the Beast in my life.” The Omega said loudly and Natasha practically cackled at him. “Look at them, Bucky’s beefy ass and Tony all petite like that. It’s a goddamn Disney movie is what it is. Ridiculous!"

“Ignore them.” Bucky murmured when the little Omega tensed in his arms. “Hey hey sugar, eyes on me. We just look like two people datin’ which is what we want every one thinking, right?” 

“Yeah I guess.” Tony whispered back. “It just um-- this feels--” _real_. “-- should I go?” 

“Eventually, probably.” the Alpha allowed, and then with more than a hint of vulnerability in the deep voice, “Maybe not yet, though? Maybe just stay with me a minute.”

_“I’ll stay.”_

********

It was dark before Tony finally chucked the coveralls and cleaned all the grease from his finger nails, scrubbed at his hands with heavy duty soap until his palms were red and he didn’t smell of motor oil any more. 

He was grabbing at paper towels when a motorcycle off to the side of the garage caught his eye, a smaller model than the other ones Bucky had out for repairs, dusty and looking mostly forgotten, the once bright red paint chipped and faded from age. 

“Bucky?” he called and the Alpha called back from the front, “What’s up, Tony?” 

“What’s this bike over here?” Tony tossed the towels in the trash and ran his hand through the dust along the gas tank. “Why’s it not out with the others?” 

“I picked it up as a project piece a few years ago and never did anything with it.” Bucky slung an easy arm around the Omega’s shoulders and hummed in contentment when Tony turned into him a little more. _God_ it was easy to be with this Omega, easy enough that Bucky should have been worried about it but instead he was wondering how Tony’s hair still smelled like _strawberries_ after a day in the shop. “Guess I just forgot about it back here. You like it?” 

“I like the red.” Tony decided, then looked down at his phone when it buzzed. “My car’s here. I’ll call you soon?” 

“Yeah, bright eyes.” Bucky dropped another kiss on the Omega’s hair and tried not to grumble when Tony pried himself away. “Call me.” 

“Will do…” Tony glanced around the shop. “...biker man!” 

The Omega burst into giggles and took off running for the front door, leaving Bucky clutching at his chest and slumping against the wall because _fuckin’ hell_ was he doomed, he was gonna die of cuteness, he just knew it. 

But _oh_ then he had an idea and…

 **From Bucky** : _It’s gonna be May soon sugar, when is your birthday exactly?_

 **From Tony** : _Hold on, I’m currently singing Justin Timberlake_

 **From Bucky** : _...what now?_

A video clip of a singer Bucky only vaguely recognized from at least fifteen years ago and words across the screen “ _it’s gonna be MAY!”_

 **From Bucky** : _Oooookay, let’s not do that anymore. Move on from weird pop culture references._

 **From Tony** : _Why does my birthday matter?_

 **From Bucky:** _Pretend Alphas have to buy birthday presents for their pretend Omega, right?_

 **From Tony** : _Oh, that’s alright. I can buy my own presents_

 **From Bucky** : _Fuckin’ hell Omega, just tell me when your damn birthday is._

 **From Tony** : _the 29th_

 **From Bucky** : _There, was that so hard?_

**From Tony:** _I want something sparkly_

**From Bucky** : _Of course you do._

The Alpha glanced back at the little red bike and grinned. 

_Sparkly, huh?_


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Its Thanksgiving and this year we are thankful for growly!Bucky and dirty dancing

“So the money thing isn’t weird for you.” Tony stated rather than asked, swirling outrageously overpriced champagne around an equally overpriced champagne flute and eyeing his Alpha date over the rim curiously. “Not weird at all?” 

“Why would it be weird?” Bucky kept sipping at the champagne and then making a face, taking a sip and making a face. “And sweet thing, _why_ is such expensive fuckin’ liquor so awful tasting? Clint drinks that sweet pink shit off the five dollar rack and it goes down smoother than this.” 

“First of all this is _Dom Perignon_ , not just expensive f-ing liquor, you neanderthal.” the Omega sassed, and Bucky rolled his eyes. “Second of all, the money thing _should_ be weird because I have sort of a gross amount of it and I’ve never dated anyone for more than ten minutes without them Googling my net worth and seeing how much they’d get for knocking me up.” 

Bucky choked on his next tentative sip and gaped at Tony in shock. “I’d get money if I knocked you up?”

Tony _glared_ at him and the Alpha immediately backpedaled, “Nope. The real issue is that people Google how much you’re worth and then are weird about you bein’ rich. Not the knocking up thing.” 

“Nice save.” Tony said dryly. “And yes, I think the going rate for getting a Stark pregnant is something around one-point-five million.” 

“To _marry_ you?” 

“To disappear and never say another word about it.” he corrected. “Mom and Dad were pretty clear about who qualified as valid and acceptable sperm donors--” he grinned when the Alpha almost died on the next inhale. “-- and anyone who didn’t meet that standard would be quietly shuffled out the back door.” 

“Okay well so _we’re_ clear?” Bucky turned around and blew his nose to empty the last few bubbles of inhaled Dom Perignon from his airway. “Tony, I’m not tryna be a sperm donor--” _absolute fucking lies_. “--and I definitely haven’t Googled your net worth. No plans to do it, either.”

“No plans to do which? The Googling or the sperm donating?” The Omega asked, purely to watch hundred-dollar-a- glass champagne come out the Alpha’s nose again. 

“Ow! Damn it!” Bucky cursed and wiped at his face again. “Tony! Don’t say things like that when a fella’s tryna drink!” 

“Sorry.” the precocious Omega wasn’t sorry at all, and only giggled when Bucky scowled and flicked a few drops his way. “But seriously. The money thing…?” 

He raised his eyebrows hopefully and once Bucky quit coughing long enough to take a full breath, he reached for Tony’s hand and pulled the Omega in till their noses bumped and he could murmur, “Sugar, I don’t give a flyin’ fuck how much money you got. Even if we were really together and not just puttin’ on a show for these dressed up fancy folk, dollar signs don’t mean a damn, alright? Not to me.”

“Al--alright.” Tony answered breathlessly, eyes wide and lips parted in anticipation of a kiss that came feather light and achingly tender, a there and gone brush of the Alpha’s mouth before Bucky was easing back a few steps. “Were um-- were people watching? Is that why you kissed me?”

And Bucky tried hard not to think about how badly he wanted to feel the sting of the Omega’s little fangs on his ear, on his lip, on his tongue, buried deep in his goddamn throat and maybe even in his thigh a little left of the _other_ place he wanted Tony’s mouth--with uh, no fangs and all _tongue_ of course--- 

\--and lied right through his teeth, “Yeah sugar, they sure are. We might not be the main event at this shindig but still gotta act the part, right?” 

To be honest it was nice to _not_ be the main event, to not have all eyes on Tony Stark and the new Alpha he was bringing around. It was a wedding for someone whose name Bucky hadn’t caught, someone Tony admitted to never having met but who ran in the same social circles so an appearance for a Stark was apparently _necessary_. 

This was an easier event than the last few Tony had called Bucky for-- _way_ easier than the board of directors dinner meeting where Bucky had felt like the dumbest person in the whole damn building until Tony had discreetly and sweetly angled his page of notes so the Alpha could read along and at least understand the terms.

After that had been another visit to the wine bar, another night staring Tiberius down and acting like Tony perched on his lap wasn’t driving Bucky right outta his ever loving mind.

Then had been the date at the observatory which involved much less star gazing than the Alpha had anticipated and waa-a-a-ay too much lecturing because Tony was apparently the worlds cutest science nerd. 

At least the observatory date had ended with a kiss though, with the Alpha framing Tony’s face in both his hands and wondering to himself if Tony’s eyes really _were_ that bright or if it was just a reflection of all the night stars, before kissing him to a round of camera flashes when the paparazzi caught up to them. 

Oh yeah, the wedding was _much_ easier. An outdoor venue meant plenty of air to dissipate the suffocating cloud of brand name cologne and overly floral scent of expensive perfume, lights strung through the trees cast a gentler glow on even the harshest features, music surrounded the clearing from speakers set every where and there was enough food and beverage to keep half a college campus fed and _drunk_. 

Hardly anyone was looking at Tony and Bucky, even a _Stark_ paled in comparison to a beautiful bride and their equally beautiful new spouse so Bucky was content to linger at the edges and eat from their tray of stolen appetizers, content to tease the Omega and watch the lights glint off the edges of Tony’s delicate fangs. 

Thankfully, Tony was just as content to stay nearly hidden along the shadows and as the night stretched on and the champagne went down easier and easier, glass after glass, the pair forgot all about any potentially watching eyes and simply _enjoyed_ each other. 

It was almost habit by now for Tony to angle his body in close to the Alpha, and Bucky’s quick constant touches weren’t so much for show as they were _instinct_. Tony took some cake from a passing waiter and when Bucky automatically reached for the fork to feed the Omega a bite, Tony didn’t so much as _blink_ over the old fashioned gesture before opening his mouth and glancing up at the Alpha from beneath hooded eyes as he ate.

The next piece came by way of Bucky’s fingers, the Alpha smearing through sugar sweet frosting and offering it up and when the Omega’s sharp teeth cut into his thumb Bucky forgot to muffle his groan, forgot to check himself before leaning in and kissing the remaining frosting right of Tony’s lips. 

And the Omega didn’t so much as gasp in surprise as he did moan softly for _more_ , pressing close and nipping lightly at Bucky’s bottom lip until the Alpha broke away with a hoarse, “You got the sweetest bite baby doll, but you gotta go easy on me or I’ll combust right here. _Have mercy_.” 

Tony was grateful for the near dark that hid his mortified blush--he hadn’t meant for the kiss to take a turn quite that far, but then again… then again maybe he had. 

“Bucky.” he whispered, a scant inch from the Alpha’s mouth as he gathered his courage to ask what he’d wanted to ask ever since that afternoon with the roadster. “Are we still...pretending?” 

“Your fuckin’ ex was looking.” Bucky glanced over Tony’s shoulder and narrowed his eyes when he saw Tiberius watching them. “Otherwise m’pretty sure you could’a ate that cake by yourself, right? Do I look like the sorta Alpha to hand feed my date?”

There Bucky went again, lying through his teeth about why he’d done whatever stupid thing he did when he was around Tony.

Hell, he had no idea if Ty had been looking or not when he’d fed Tony frosting off his fingers, but the bastard had sure been looking when they _kissed_ and that was enough to make Bucky want to growl. So sure, he lied and there just wasn't any harm in it...except that Bucky was so intent on working through his own emotions at the moment, he missed the fleeting disappointment on Tony’s face, the Omega’s expression falling sad and almost regretful before that smile was right back and firmly fixed in place. 

“Well I wouldn’t know what sort of Alpha you usually are with your normal dates!” Tony scrunched his nose up teasingly like his poor heart wasn’t hurting just a bit from Bucky’s response. “I’ve yet to hear any stories about exes or run into any Omegas who know anything about you! I don't even know out when your last real date was!” 

“To be real honest sugar, I don’t really date. And I feel like the last Omega I was with wasn’t around long enough to know my name.” the Alpha admitted sheepishly. “And uh-- I didn’t realize how bad that sounded until just this second.” 

“Wait wait wait.” Tony shook his head, biting at his lip so he wouldn’t laugh out loud at Bucky’s thoroughly self-chastised expression. “Wait, so the last person you were with didn’t even know your _name_? What did they call you?” 

The Alpha cringed and Tony’s jaw dropped open. “No. No, don’t tell me they just called you _Bronco_.” 

Tony had never even seen an Alpha blush, but Bucky was practically _pink_ with embarrassment. “Oh my god! Did they just call you Bronco?! Bucky OH MY GOD!” 

“Yeah, let’s just uh--” Bucky coughed a few times. “Let’s just uh, move on? Can we please move on? I had no idea how embarrassing this whole thing was until I had to hear you say it.” 

“OH MY GOD BUCKY BARNES---!” The little Omega _exploded_ with laughter, put his champagne flute down and clutched at his sides as they threatened to split. “Do you actually introduce yourself as Bronco Barnes?! I can’t-- oh my god-- I can’t breathe--!” 

“If you weren’t so cute laughing like this, my feelings would be hurt.” Bucky protested. “It’s not that funny, Tony!” 

“It’s not that funny?” Tony challenged over another belly deep laugh. “Big ol’ Alpha like you trying to be smooth with someone and telling them your name is _Bronco_?! And they still sleep with you afterwards!?” 

“Well I--” Bucky spread his hands helplessly. “I mean, I’m a charmin’ fella maybe they just overlook the stupid nickname!” 

“Bucky!” There were real tears on Tony’s cheeks as he tried and failed to keep it together, his face rosy red and eyes snapping with laughter. “Please tell me you don’t actually do that!” 

“Would you shut the hell up!” Bucky finally laughed too, finally gave in and yanked the Omega up close for a kiss just to keep Tony from squawking about _Bronco_ anymore… or at least that’s what he told himself.

Yeah, a kiss would quiet the Omega, that seemed...valid. 

“I told _you_ my real name didn’t I? That’s gotta count for something!” 

“Oh yeah, you told a strange Omega you aren’t even actually dating your real name, yes that really counts.” Tony rolled his eyes and _fuck_ , Bucky had to kiss him again, had to cover that smile with one of his own until the Omega stood up on his toes and held him tight. “Ohh-h-- _Bucky_ \--” 

\---“Well well.” Justin Hammer of all people found them there in the almost shadows, the unwelcome Alpha tossing Tiberius a smarmy, self satisfied smile over his shoulder as he approached. “Tony Stark, look at you. This whole uh--”

He made a motion towards Bucky. “--this whole thing seems to agree with you. Ty mentioned that you were acting a little crazy, a little out of character, but I dunno why he's so pissed about it. Some rebellion looks good on you. I like it.” 

Tony went stiff in Bucky’s arms and the Alpha shifted into protective-fake-boyfriend mode immediately, slinging a thick arm around Tony’s little waist and drawing the Omega back up against his body. “Who’s this, Tony?” 

“This is an acquaintance of the family.” Tony answered tightly. “Justin, this is my Alpha, Bucky. Sweetheart, meet Justin Hammer. He owns a competing company against my Dad and for a while was in the running to be a potentially approved sperm donor.” 

Justin made a startled, strangled sort of noise at being called a _sperm donor_ and Bucky hid a smile in Tony’s hair.

“That’s uh--” the other Alpha coughed. “Well I mean, I wouldn’t use those terms to describe our previous relationship but uh-- ahem. Listen Tony, I was thinking--”

“Here’s what _I’m_ thinkin’.” Bucky interrupted in that trademark drawl, soft and a little dangerous for those who didn’t know him. “What was your name again? Jerry?” 

“It’s Justin.” 

“Alright look here, _Jack._ ” Tony didn’t quite manage to muffle a laugh and Bucky pressed at his side playfully. “We’re just trying to drink champagne and make it through this shindig without dyin’ of boredom, so why don’t you leave us alone so we can enjoy the wedding, man.” 

“Oh!” Justin laughed out loud. “Oh I’m sorry, _man_. Sorry for the inconvenience _dude_. Honestly Tony, how does a pretty Omega like you end up slumming it with a mechanic? Rebel all you want but do it with someone who can afford to buy you dinner! Always thought you were smarter than--” 

The sudden snarl that ripped from Bucky’s throat was damn near _savage_ , making the other Alpha jump in surprise and sending a syrupy thick thrum clear through to Tony’s core.

_Oh oh oh my alpha **yes**_ _._

“Shhh...” the Omega turned into Bucky’s body, humming comfortingly and pushing his nose into the Alpha’s throat, squeezing his thighs together in an attempt to stay at least somewhat appropriate. It was a _wedding_ after all, not the time to be getting horny over that damn noise even if it _was_ the sexiest thing he’d ever heard. “It’s okay. It’s-- it’s fine. Remember? No one really means anything by saying that stuff. He’s just jealous.” 

“Nobody’s gonna talk about you like that, Omega.” Bucky kept right on snarling, never took scarlet red eyes off Justin as he wrapped a protective hand at the base of Tony’s neck and spread his other fingers possessive over the span of the Omega’s little waist. Curled over Tony like this the size difference between the pair was _astonishing_ , the deliberate motions by the Alpha a move just short of tossing Tony onto a table and laying claim right then and there and the message couldn’t have been any clearer. 

_Back. The Fuck. Off._

“W-well.” Justin tugged at his suit jacket and tried to gather what was left of his dignity, visibly _sore_ after being measured against such a big Alpha and losing. “If uh-- if you get tired of this one Tony-- I um--” 

Bucky parted his lips and ran his tongue over the edge of his fangs, dangerous and curving and _pointed_ and when Justin still didn’t quite get the hint, Bucky turned his head enough to dig the edges into the tender skin at Tony’s throat, never once breaking eye contact with the other Alpha even as the Omega purred and sagged further into the touch. 

“You know what?” Justin nodded and straightened his jacket again with a nervous little jerk. “I’ll just leave.” 

Bucky probably should have let go of Tony the second Justin disappeared back into the crowd, but he let himself hold onto the tiny Omega for just another minute, breathing in the vanilla and roses scent and letting it calm the _red_ surging through his system. 

His reaction to the irritating Alpha had been… unexpected… but not faked in the _least_ , so while Bucky knew he’d have to explain himself soon, for right now he just needed to hold the Omega close and breathe Tony right into his soul.

“Bucky.” Tony sounded breathless but not angry, he was trembling but he wasn’t scared, not if the way he held tight to the Alpha’s waist was any indication. “That -- that was amazing.” 

“Nah.” Bucky forced the words past the growl in his throat, reflexively tightened his grip and then talked himself into easing up so he wouldn’t accidentally bruise porcelain skin. “Pretty Omega like you has had plenty of Alphas get all red eyed and snarly for you.” 

A soft kiss at his ear about put the Alpha on the floor, a quiet purr enough to make Bucky shudder right down to his core. “Not like that. Not the way you do it. Thank you.” 

Bucky tried to laugh, even tried to lean away to give the Omega a chance to breathe but the moment still crackled hot and tense between them, the thin veneer of _pretending_ stretched to its limit by the heavy scent of _possessive_ rolling from the Alpha’s big shoulders.

Bucky was breathing hard, eyes hazing between pale blue and deep red as he tried to keep from touching Tony but kept coming right back to the dip of the Omega’s waist, the curve of his hip and the way Tony’s hair fell soft over his ears and finally the Omega gathered up his courage again and blurted, “Do you want to dance? We should dance.” 

“Dance? I think I need a walk.” the Alpha bit out. “To go run or—or hit something. I need some fuckin’ _air_. Plus I don’t really dance sugar, that's not my thing. Gotta do somethin' else to work some'a this tension off and I don't think _dancin_ ' is gonna do it.”

“You could just watch me?” Tony whispered and _this_ time when Bucky licked over his fangs it didn’t seem threatening at all. 

“Yeah? You want me to watch you dance, baby doll?”

“ _Yes_.” 

********

Like weddings tend to do, the party got wilder as the moon moved higher in the sky, the music sultrier as the stars came out, the bass line vibrating through the ground and twisting the atmosphere hot and _wanting_. 

Tony loved to dance, loved to let the music move him and the rhythm spin him but he’d never danced with a hulking Alpha watching with dark scarlet eyes and fangs glinting in the moonlight, he’d never danced with a ridiculously sexy _biker_ staring at him, and Tony had certainly never danced full on while hoping an Alpha would lose a little control and grab him up tight…

“ _Alpha_.” he might have whimpered when Bucky finally tossed back the rest of his drink and settled a heavy hand low at Tony’s hips to pull him in close, fitting the Omega’s back up against his chest so he could feel that ridiculous rear wriggling into the vee of his hips. The Alpha’s thick fingers were hot through the material of Tony’s trousers, Bucky’s hand spread wide enough that his thumb nearly brushed over Tony’s zipper and the Omega stuttered a breath before arching into the next touch and murmuring, “ _Yes_.” 

“Right here, babydoll.” Bucky growled, free hand slipping towards Tony’s neck to rest over his pulse, fangs bared so a sideways kiss started gentle but turned sharp as the Omega kept dancing, kept moving into Bucky’s body and purring, tipsy and gorgeous and tossing his head back to open up his throat. 

“Fuck, I’ve got you.” the Alpha groaned when Tony rocked up into him, when that pert ass ground against his cock and he was drowning in the scent of wanton roses and sweetest vanilla. “Omega, you’re so _good_ …” 

Fangs, scraping at the Omega’s cheek and then again at his neck and Tony mewled, shivered in Bucky's grasp and wriggled around to hide his face in the Alpha’s throat. Bucky muttered, “No one’s watching, Tony. No one’s lookin’, s’just us, yeah? Just you and me, sweetheart.” 

“F-fuck.” Tony gasped and the word sounded absolutely _filthy_ from the posh Omega's mouth. “Fuck, Alpha I don’t think I’d stop even if people _were_ watching.” 

“Well hell, c’mere then.” Bucky fit his thigh between Tony’s slim legs and coaxed the Omega to _move_ , to grind against him and stay right there, right _there_ where their bodies were pressed together hot and _aching_. “I’ve got you, baby come on, come on show me how you're gonna move with me.”

Tony could _dance_ to this kind of music, arching his back so the Alpha would grip at his ass, holding onto Bucky's hips so he had something to rub into, a hard bulge to gyrate against, and when the Alpha huffed something hot and _wanting_ Tony dragged his nails up to tangle in Bucky's hair, to scrape along the Alpha's side, to dig into the unyielding weight of the prosthesis.

“Ah fuck, you're gorgeous.” Bucky rucked Tony's t-shirt up, spread his fingers wide across the small of the Omega's back, tipped his head and _growled_ when Tony's little fangs cut at his neck, at his bottom lip. “Such a sweet bite, sweet thing, c'mon and gimme _more_.”

The music got lower and the Omega’s breath got choppy, the beat changed and _dropped_ and Tony'shand dug painfully tight into Bucky’s side, the other scrabbling down the unforgiving metal at the Alpha’s left arm. Bucky pulled at Tony's hair and dragged his head back, fastened his mouth over the thundering pulse until Tony whined and craned his neck until Bucky's teeth nearly drew blood at perfect skin. Tony shifted his hips on the down beat and grabbed at Bucky's hand, linked their fingers and held on tight as a shiver started somewhere in his core and spread through his system until he was trembling, panting with each breath. “Bu--Bucky, please-- _please_ \--” 

"Pretty perfect Omega." Bucky grabbed Tony's ass and yanked him up tight, bent his knee and ground _dirty_ into the Omega until Tony squealed into his ear, knees going weak and mouth falling open. "S'alright baby doll, sweet gorgeous thing, let go just like this, gimme _all_ of ya, c'mon.”

“ _Alpha_.” Tony was shaking, clutching Bucky and dripping slick down his thighs, ruining his pants when the Alpha palmed over his length, spilling behind his zipper and soaking his trousers with his release as he rutted against Bucky's leg and muffled a desperate noise into the Alpha's shoulder.

“ _Bite me_.” Bucky breathed and Tony stabbed his fangs in over Bucky's pulse, shattered apart in his Alpha's arms as Bucky rumbled sweet contentment and pure _satisfaction_ into his ear. 

“ _Jesus_ , babydoll.” Bucky could taste it on Tony’s skin when the Omega finally pulled away enough to catch his breath, he could taste heady arousal and addicting _lust_ as he licked up Tony's neck and buried his nose in all that hair, a steady croon from his chest as the rose scent started to dim in embarrassment. “No no sweet thing, don’t do that, don't be embarrassed, not now, not here with me.”

The Alpha could barely talk, couldn’t even think with what felt a hell of a lot like the start of _rut_ clouding up his mind but he wasn’t about to let Tony go, wasn’t about to let the Omega feel anything but fucking _gorgeous_ right then so he crooned again, “God you’re beautiful, Omega. Come here, come here I’ve got you. That was so gorgeous, _fuck_. Ain't never seen nothin' half as pretty as you, c'mere.”

It was a challenge to get out of his dress shirt without letting go of Tony, but Bucky did it anyway, holding on tight to his Omega so he could shrug out of his shirt and wrap it right around Tony’s shoulders. “Stay with me.” he whispered when Tony whined uncertainly, _shame_ over-riding the pleasured blush in the Omega’s cheeks. “Nope, none of that. Never seen anything half as perfect as you, Tony, don’t do that, don’t hide from me, come here.” 

The Omega didn't struggle when Bucky scooped him right up off the ground and into strong arms. He just turned in closer and snuggled over the Alpha’s heart, closed his eyes tight just in case anyone was looking and tried to focus on how _good_ everything felt, not how awful it was that he’d gotten off right there in public at a wedding with nothing more than some dirty dancing. 

It _had_ to be awful, but Bucky wasn’t making it seem awful, not with the way he kept dropping kisses on Tony’s forehead and cheek, the constant checks to be sure the Omega was covered and secure in his arms, the way the Alpha kept whispering sheer _adoration_ into Tony’s ear as he hurried him towards the waiting limo. 

“Here you go, babydoll, watch your head.” Bucky had no intention of sticking around some hoity toity wedding when Tony smelled like _that_ , no way in hell he was gonna toast some couple he didn’t know when his Omega had called for him, had called him _Alpha_ as he came. 

He also had no intention of letting Tony out of his arms anytime soon so the moment the limo door closed behind them and the driver shifted into gear, he reached out for the Omega and gathered him in close, bit off a curse when the Tony's soft weight landed over his cock but forced his body to _settle_ so he could tip Tony’s chin up and kiss him again. 

“...Bucky?” 

“It’s fine.” the Alpha shook his head, hooked just the tip of his fangs over Tony’s pulse and shook his head again. “It's fine, I’m fine, we’re just _fine_ sugar. Wanna hold you though, come here. Come on.” 

“Rest for me.” Mind numbing _want_ gave way to overwhelming protectiveness, and it fell like a blanket over the back of the limo making it easy for the Alpha to ignore the thrum of desire in his veins so he could nuzzle into Tony’s hair. “I’ve got you.” 

At least a dozen kisses over the Omega’s temple and cheek, Bucky mouthing at Tony’s neck and running his fingers up and down his back, reveling in the whole hearted _trus_ t the Omega was showing by not running, by not hiding, by just melting sweet and pliant in his arms even though they were…

...they were _pretending._

The Alpha swallowed hard when Tony peeked up at him shyly, then burrowed in closer and sighed in pure contentment. 

_Pretending_? Bucky was pretty sure he didn’t know the meaning of the word.

********

 **From Bucky** : _We made the tabloids baby doll_

Tony squinted at his phone in confusion, wondering why the hell the Alpha was awake at six am to read the tabloids, especially after all the champagne and dancing and then-- then everything _else_.

The Omega squirmed a little in his bed, inched down in the covers to hide his blush and the way his core twinged in excitement thinking about the night before. Bucky hadn’t even-- the Alpha hadn’t tried to-- _damn it_ they hadn’t even had actual naked _anything_ and Tony was still clenching and slick as if he could feel the weight of Bucky’s knot stuck between his legs. 

_Whew_.

His phone blinged again with a picture message and honestly, thank God because otherwise Tony’s morning would take an abrupt and lengthy detour towards his _vibrator_ and he had to get to work in a little bit. 

**From Bucky:** _See? We’re famous!_

The picture was a good one, a snap shot from the wedding where Bucky was clearly teasing him and Tony was laughing in delight. They were smiling and happy and looking about as in love as an Alpha and Omega possibly could… and that hurt Tony’s heart in a way he wasn’t really ready to think about yet. 

**From Tony** : _I feel like I should pay you extra for that date since_ _we made the front page._

 **From Bucky** : _That would be nice seeing as how I sent you home with the only nice shirt I own so and now I've gotta replace it._

**From Tony** _: Sounds like that’s your own fault. Maybe you shouldn’t give your shirts away to random Omegas_

**From Bucky** : _Not random Omegas, sweetheart. Just the real gorgeous, perfect ones that deserve to be held up tight and cuddled real close._

Already awake and down at the shop, Bucky saved the picture from the online article to his phone and then set it as his background, smiling a little bit when he saw it bright behind his icons. 

His smile slid away though when he looked up and saw Natasha basically glaring at him with folded arms, half shaved head tilted to the side and fangs bared in an annoyed growl. 

“What?” he asked defensively. “It’s six fuckin’ am Tasha, what could you _possibly_ be pissed off about right now?” 

“Do you know you’re fucked?” she demanded, pointing a finger at him suspiciously. “With that Omega. Do you _know_ you’re fucked or are you still acting like you’re only pretending and you definitely aren’t in love?”

“I hate how you talk.” Bucky retorted, but then with a goofy grin, “Don’t think I know the meanin’ of the word _pretending_ , Tasha.” 

“So you _are_ fucked.” 

“...sure am.” 

“You don't have to smile so big, you know.”

"Eh. Pretty sure I do." 


	6. Chapter 6

“My parents want to meet you.” Tony said one afternoon, all too casual for how ridiculously _insane_ the words were. “We’re having dinner with them tonight.” 

“Uhhh----” Bucky scooted out from beneath his current project and sat upright to blink at the Omega. “Meeting parents? _Tonight_? Fucking _yikes_ , baby doll.” 

“Why would you say that?” Tony tried to hide a smile. “Parents are all sorts of fun.” 

Bucky made a disgruntled noise and Tony hid a _bigger_ smile and turned another page in the magazine. Another invitation to Bucky’s garage had turned into a sort of lazy early afternoon and the Omega was having the time of his life flipping through the restoration magazines, scanning the articles about the meticulous art of restoring classic cars, ogling the beautiful people draped all over the classic cars, and then looking up and doing a bit of leering at the Alpha himself. 

It was a good morning, and Tony’s already contented aura brightened even further when he peeked up and saw Bucky watching him with a still grumpy expression that was quickly slipping fond. 

“Don’t look like that, all pretty and self satisfied.” Bucky pointed a tool at Tony, and the Omega’s scent swelled _happy_ over the teasing. “Meetin’ the parents is _yikes_ and that’s all there is too it.” 

“Parents aren’t yikes.” Tony argued, but then with a conciliatory shrug, “I mean _my_ parents can certainly be yikes, but it’s not fair to assign that description to _all_ parents. Seems judgey and hasty and rude.” 

“ _Judgey and hasty and rude_.” the Alpaha mimicked in a high falsetto, and Tony scrunched his nose at him. “You told me your Pops is willing to pay off sketchy Alphas just to leave you alone, Tony.” 

Tony made a mm-hmm noise and Bucky wiped his hands on a greasy rag before continuing, “Also, you can’t drop meet-the-parents night on an Alpha at the last minute. I need time to prepare. Get my affairs in order in case they kill me.” 

“Oh, Dad wouldn’t kill you.” Tony shook his head quickly, almost too quickly, and Bucky’s eyes narrowed at the little Omega’s mischievous smirk. “But Ma would stab you with a hairpin and bury in you behind the upstate lake house before dessert if you piss her off.” 

“Tony!” 

“But don’t worry.” Tony waved off the Alpha’s squawk of outrage. “I’m sure Tasha will take over Red Star Rides before anybody even knows you’re missing.” 

“TONY!” 

“There, see?” Tony went back to his magazine. “Affairs in order, crisis averted, you have no more excuses not to come tonight.” 

“The hell I don’t.” Bucky said flatly. “If anything, you jus’ gave me about a thousand more reasons _not_ to go.” 

“Oh stop that, I’m only kidding.” The Omega felt around for anything he could throw without braining the Alpha, and settled on a palm sized hex key that would bounce harmlessly off Bucky’s overly muscled arms. “Nothing’s going to happen, it’s just dinner and a few hours of small talk. Everything will be fine.” 

“I dunno, sugar.” Bucky tossed the hex key into his toolbox then reached to pull the tie from his hair and let it loose down around his shoulders, scratching at his scalp idly. “What’s wrong with just hanging out here tonight? Sorta like you curled up in my chair getting all drooly over my magazines. You lookin’ at that real pretty Omega on page forty eight, the one laid out on the Charger?” 

“Oh, I just picked this magazine for the articles.” Tony corrected haughtily and Bucky rolled his eyes. “Besides, why would I look at pictures when I can’t really complain about the real life view view?”

The Omega’s gaze swept over Bucky’s torn jeans, the tank top straining over the Alpha’s chest and the pale eyes nearly glowing out from the curtain of dark hair, and he bit into his bottom lip with those little fangs and then finished all too innocently, “By the way, I already RSVP’s to dinner and said we’d be there, so you can’t back out.” 

“Damn you, Omega.” Bucky snorted and rolled back under the car. “I’ll go, but for the record, I don’t really wanna. I love my parents, but I’ve never been real good with anyone else’s folks. And since we’ve seen how rich people tend to treat an Alpha like me....” 

“What did you think would happen when we made the front page of the tabloids?” The Omega interrupted, worrying at the inside of his cheek anxiously when Bucky didn’t answer right away.

Surely the Alpha wasn’t going to back out now? Tonight was important for at least a hundred reasons, only _one_ of which was fully convincing Howard and Maria that Tiberius was no longer an option, that Tony was making his own decisions whether they approved or not.

The other ninety nine reasons-- well they had everything to do with the way Bucky had looked at him after their dance at the wedding, the way Tony had over two hundred text messages on his phone from the Alpha because they hadn’t stopped talking _once_ in the past three days, the way Bucky had sounded so _hopeful_ this morning when he called and asked if Tony wanted to come hang out at the shop so they could spend some time together. 

_Please oh please oh please say yes, please want to meet my parents, please oh please oh please..._

“Fine.” Bucky finally conceded, and then grinned from beneath the truck when he heard a little squeal and the tell tale squeak of chair springs which meant Tony had done that little excited wiggle he did whenever he got his way. “But only because you’re fuckin’ cute, alright? And if they feed me weird rich people food, you gotta buy me a burger afterwards.” 

“What do you mean weird rich people food?!” Tony pitched another hex key towards the Alpha and watched it ricochet off Bucky’s knee and skid off into the garage. “We eat normal food!”

“The hell you do, babydoll.” Bucky grunted as he worked at adjusting something beneath the car. “The last place you took me to for dinner had steak made of foam and an appetizer I was supposed to inhale or some shit. M’here t’tell ya Tony. Breathing in the _essence_ of nachos is not the same as eating them. You shouldn’t let yourself get lied to like that.” 

“Alright. I can promise burgers if you go meet my parents.” the Omega conceded. “Huge, messy burgers. I can do that.” 

“Guess I’m yours, then.” Bucky rolled out again and winked, and Tony's hopeful, _romantic_ heart skipped a beat. “Fella can’t say no to good burgers and pretty Omegas, right?”

“I hope not.” The Omega said quietly, shyly. “Thank you.” 

“Ain’t no thing, sweet thing.” Bucky went back to work, disappearing under the body of the truck. “You just let me know when it’s time to degrease and get shiny so you can show me off, yeah? I’ll need a solid hour to turn mechanic Bronco into fully respectable James Barnes.”

“Oh while we're on the topic of getting shiny?” Tony turned another page in the magazine and tapped at a _very_ pretty convertible with a _very_ skimpily dressed Omega draped over the hood. “We’ll need to go shopping and get you some new clothes.”

“ _What_!” A tool clattered to the ground and Bucky swore in annoyance. “That wasn't part of the deal! Shouldn't have to meet the parents _and_ go shopping all on the same day! Go easy on a fella!"

"I feel like you're being unnecessarily dramatic." the Omega informed him and Bucky protested, "I don’t shop! I just get whatever jeans look like they’ll fit my butt and go with it!”

“And so far you’ve made excellent choices.” Tony grinned when he heard Bucky grumble through an agreement. “But your dress pants. Off the rack at JC Penney's?” 

“Might have been JC Penney's.” Bucky hedged, muffled under the truck. “Might’a been Stevie’s closet. Can’t really tell you, sweetheart.” 

“Okay well my Mama can spot an off the rack excuse for clothing from twenty-two hundred yards and then eviscerate whoever is wearing them with nothing more than a pointed glance and a thinly veiled reference to their mental stability based _entirely_ on evidence of their clothing choices.” 

“Wow, Tony. She sounds like a _peach_.” 

“Don’t talk about my Mama.” the Omega sniffed. “She’s wonderful, but she is every bit the prima donna _la famiglia Carbonell_ raised her to be. We need to go shopping. I prefer you un-eviscerated, thank you.” 

“My pants were just fine for all the other fancy stuff you’ve dragged me to.” 

“I’m sorry." Tony blinked a few times. "Did you _not_ hear the part about my mother, the fashion faux pax sniper?” 

“I think you just want an excuse to get me naked in a dressing-- **SHIT**!” 

Bucky shouted in alarm and Tony threw down his magazine and _screamed_ when one of the jacks holding the truck slipped, crumpled, bent in half and snapped, bringing several thousand pounds of steel and metal crashing down onto the Alpha. 

“Bucky?” Tony ran for the truck then skidded to a stop when he realized there was absolutely nothing he could do. “Bucky! Clint! Natasha HELP!” 

“Tony!” Clint came sprinting into the garage and grabbed at the hysterical Omega, raising his voice over Tony’s screams. “Tony Tony, stop screaming. Tony! Stop screaming! It’s okay! It’s okay!” 

“It’snotokaythetruckslippedandBuckyiscaughtandIdon’tknowhowtohelphimIdon’tknowwhattodopleasehelp--” 

“ _Tony_!” Natasha was fierce, her voice rolling with enough _Alpha_ to shut both the shouting Omegas up in an instant. “Clint! You are both beautiful, perfect Omegas but if you don’t shut the hell up right now and help me help Bucky I’ll do something drastic like throw all the ice cream out of the freezer!” 

“No.” Clint gasped. “Not my Rocky Road?” 

“Especially your Rocky Road, my love.” Natasha cupped Tony’s chin and checked his eyes, then his pulse to be sure it wasn’t out of control then nodded firmly. “Alright then. Clint, you keep Tony calm while I deal with this shit. You know the drill.” 

“The-- the drill?” Tony whispered, still shaken to his core by the Alpha command, still halfway to _hysterical_ at the thought of Bucky trapped beneath a truck. “What’s the drill? What is the drill--!”

“Natasha!” Bucky bellowed and Tony went very red and then very white and swayed on his feet. “Get this goddamn thing off me!”

“Well excuse me for having to tend to freaked out Omegas!” the tiny Alpha snapped and went jogging to get another jack. “You couldn’t have mentioned this to your Omega? Couldn’t have hinted to him that maybe you wouldn’t die thanks to your fuckin’ bionic arm!” 

“Bionic…” Tony clutched at Clint’s hand tight and watched with wide eyes as Natasha slid the tool under the truck and cranked it up. “What does she mean?” 

“She means ol’ Bronco over there has got a left arm that’s dialed to about a thousand.” Clint patted at Tony’s hand and chuckled at the other Omega’s stricken expression. “I know he’s real gentle with you, but I’ve watched him pick a bike up with one hand, babycakes. No way a truck slipping off the jack is gonna do too much damage.” 

“Besides piss me off if you don’t get it the _hell_ off me!” the trapped Alpha roared, and Natasha popped her fangs and snarled right back at him, “I’m _trying_!” 

An actual eternity later the truck lifted enough for Tony to bend down and see Bucky whole and somehow safe, his left arm braced elbow to the floor and palm flattened against the underside of the chassis. The Alpha was groaning, fangs bared in a grimace and body tense, sweat soaking his tank top and muscles straining as he tried to hold on for just another--few--inches--

“Done! You’re done!” Natasha shouted and Bucky rolled out from beneath the truck in a split second and jumped to his feet. “Christ, Bucky! Don’t do that anymore!” 

“Oh you don’t want me to do that anymore?” Bucky stripped out of his tank top and wiped at his face. “Maybe when I tell you to stop kissing on Clint and actually replace the gears in that shit, you _do_ it!” 

“I wasn’t--” The other Alpha started to protest but Bucky pushed right past her and grabbed Tony up from Clint, folding the panicky Omega into a tight hug. 

“You alright, sugar?”

Tony didn’t answer, just hid his face and tried not to cry but when a quiet, _quiet_ sob broke from the Omega Bucky crooned, “No no no, baby. No, don’t do that. Hey, I’m okay. It’s fine. It’s fine, everything's fine sweet thing, don’t cry, it’s okay.”

Tony only cried harder and Bucky hugged him tight, “Aw sweetie you’re killin’ me with these tears. Don’t do that, you said yourself I was like Robo-cop right? The Six Million Dollar Man? What’s the point of fake-dating a terminator if he doesn’t hold up a truck every once in a while?” 

Bucky tried to smile, but Tony just clung tighter and finally the Alpha nodded. “Yeah okay sweet thing. I know I scared you and I’m real sorry about that. I uh-- I didn’t think my arm being able to hold up a truck in case of accidental flattening would come up in conversation but hey, now you know, right? And everything’s okay. Everythin's alright, I promise.”

“You’re okay?” The Omega asked, the words muffled into Bucky’s left shoulder and lips brushing over the thick scars. “ _Promise_?” 

“I promise.” Bucky leaned away until he could coax Tony to look up at him. “Totally fine. I need a shower to get the grease off me, but then I’ll go shopping with you. You wanna go shopping now? Would that make you feel better?” 

“...shopping?” 

“Yeah baby doll.” the Alpha lowered his voice to a rumble, damn near a purr until he could finally get a smile from the pretty brunette. “Let’s go shopping. I’ll let you play dress up with me, then I’ll buy you something sparkly and we’ll forget all about this, okay? No more tears.”

“Okay.” the last few tears finally fell from Tony’s lashes and the Alpha wiped them away gently. “So long as we can go shopping I guess I'll forgive you.”

“Come upstairs with me so I can get cleaned up.” Bucky glanced over Tony’s shoulder at Clint and Natasha and then ducked his head to kiss the Omega very _very_ gently. “Then we’ll go shopping.” 

Clint watched the pair head towards the stairs that led to Bucky’s above shop apartment, then turned to the female Alpha and asked, “How come _you_ never offer to take _me_ shopping when I’m upset? I’d like to play dress up with you before you buy me something shiny.” 

“Because when you’re upset it can always be solved with ice cream and a strip tease.” Natasha retorted. “And by the way, if _I_ could catch a truck with my fancy metal arm I’m pretty sure you would be too busy humping my leg to whine about shopping.” 

“Yeah…” Clint scratched at his chin and nodded. “Yeah, that sounds about right. Tony was real shaken up, huh? I thought something bad had happened when I heard him scream.” 

“Pretty sure that Omega’s life revolves around glitter and unicorns, I’m not surprised he full on panicked just now.” Natasha forced herself to inhale slow, working off the adrenaline from the moment. She’d stayed calm for the Omega’s and was _always_ bitchy to Bucky but that didn’t mean she hadn’t been scared to see her friend pinned under a truck. “Don’t worry, I’m sure Bronco will get him calmed down.” 

“How much do you wanna bet they’re going to confess real feelings any day now?” 

“I’ve already got a wager going with Steve.” Natasha hooked their fingers together and towed Clint back out to the reception desk. “I’m giving it a week tops.” 

“That long? Even though Bucky looks at Tony all stupid and lovey dovey like that?” Clint shook his head. “I give it twelve hours.” 

********

“You’re still starin’ at me like you’re scared, sugar.” Bucky shut the door to his apartment and walked Tony over to the worn couch in the living room. “I thought shopping would dry all those tears right up.” 

“I don’t mean to stare.” The Omega admitted softly. “I just-- I thought you were really hurt, Bucky. Maybe even dead. And I know we’re just-- we’re just pretending.” _God he hated that word_. “But we’re friends, aren’t we? I didn’t want to see my friend die under a truck while I was busy ogling the pictures in a magazine!” 

“You’re fuckin’ cute.” Bucky undid his jeans and pushed them off his hips, kicked them towards the tiny laundry room and inadvertently-- or maybe _purposefully_ \-- treated the Omega to a view of muscular legs and sort of ridiculously good thighs and a butt Tony couldn’t wait to get into a pair of tailored dress pants.

“And of course we’re friends, and I’m real sorry for scaring you like that. But _m’fine_ Tony, I promise. Not the first time I’ve had to catch something real heavy, won’t be the last. One time Steve’s dumb ass got black out drunk and I had to carry all two hundred something pounds of his bullshit eight blocks back to the apartment. No worries, alright? This is just a regular day at the office for me.”

“You keep saying that like I didn’t scream myself hoarse thinking you were hurt.” Despite Natasha’s assessment, Tony wasn’t really the type to panic, but he still couldn’t keep from shaking as he burrowed deeper into the couch. “Which by the way, when my Mama asks me why my voice is scratchy tonight, the correct answer is that I’ve been fighting a cold and not anything that might be remotely taken to hint at any possibility of sexual congress of any kind.” 

“That sure was a whole lotta words to tell me m’not allowed to be horny for you.” Bucky crossed over in just boxers to the laundry room and got a towel from the dryer. “But sure, you’ve been fighting a cold, not screaming my name.” 

“Bucky.” Tony turned rosy pink. “I didn’t mean it like-- _ooph_.” The Omega jumped when a still dryer-warm hoodie landed in his lap. “Wait, what’s this for?” 

“Cos you’re shaking and that hurts my heart a little bit.” Bucky called over his shoulder. “Hold on tight to that and once I don’t stink like sweat and truck mess I’ll hug you for a little bit longer, okay?” 

The second the shower turned on, Tony gave in to the urge to bury his face in the hoodie, breathed in Bucky’s gorgeous comforting scent and let himself whine just a little bit. The emotional whiplash of flirting to not flirting, of Bucky teasing to the Alpha _shouting_ as the truck slipped, the heart stopping moment when Tony had thought he’d seen his Alpha get hurt--

 _Fuck fuck fuck._ The Omega shoved his arms into the over sized hoodie and pulled the hood up over his ears so he was enveloped all the way in Bucky’s scent. 

He was just gonna sit here for a little bit and not think about how fast and how far he’d fallen past ‘pretend dating’ and right into wondering how it would feel to have Bucky’s mark on his neck. 

...and also maybe a little bit how easy it would be for Bucky to hold him up against the wall with one hand and use the silver hand to do all sorts of mildly wicked and positively _wrecking_ things to his body. 

It was fine. 

Ohhhh yeah this was _fine_. 

Wrapped up in his thoughts and in Bucky’s scent, Tony didn’t hear the shower turn off or the creak of footsteps as the Alpha came back to the living room, and he jumped when the hood tugged gently off his head.

“What um--” Tony swallowed hard when they were suddenly nose to nose, mouths nearly meeting as the Alpha wound his fingers into Tony’s hair and pulled him in. “What’s going on? You still okay?”

“Want you to keep this.” Bucky murmured, budging in closer so he could sweep a kiss over the Omega’s cheek. “Keep my hoodie, Tony. Don’t care if you leave it home so you got something at your place that smells like me, or if you only keep it in the back of your limo for the cold nights. Just keep it and wear it all the time, yeah? All the time, I want you _always_ wearing my clothes.”

“I can keep it?” the Omega was a little breathless which was probably stupid because this was just _a_ _hoodie_ , but it felt like Bucky was offering a whole lot more. Felt like maybe the hoodie was something else _real_ and even though Tony hated himself for hoping…. “Are you sure?” 

“You keep lookin’ this sweet and you can keep whatever the hell you want of mine.” the Alpha shuddered when slim fingers landed at his shoulder and Tony traced the scars carefully. “You don’t gotta be careful with that, sugar, don’t really hurt much. Not anymore. You wanna touch me, you go right ahead and do it.”

“Still think maybe I should be careful.” The hoodie sleeves were long enough to cover Tony’s hands when he reached up to frame Bucky’s face between his palms. “Even Robo-cop needed maintenance every once in a while.”

“Even RoboCop--” Bucky laughed at him and Tony cheesed a grin right back, thoroughly enjoying making his Alpha laugh, thoroughly loving the way he got a show of bare skin and wet muscles flexing when Bucky pushed away and stood up to shake the water from his hair. 

“Well if you’re being sassy that must mean you’ve stopped bein’ scared about what happened, huh?” a quick tug at his waist to tighten the towel didn’t do much more than give Tony a reason to look _down_ and Bucky had to try hard not to fucking _preen_ when the Omega’s gaze sparked with interest. “...Tony?” 

“Nope. Not scared.” Tony’s eyes were glued to Bucky’s abdomen, to the drops of water slipping down from his pecs and heading towards the terry cloth and the bulge barely hidden beneath the towel. “Not even-- nope. Scared is not what I’m thinking.” 

“Oh yeah?” The Alpha shifted his weight and folded his arms, rolled his shoulders and flexed his biceps. “What are you thinkin’ then?” 

Tony’s fingers went to his lips as he thought about how the scars had felt against his mouth, he tongued over the edge of his fangs curiously as he stared at the sheen of _wet_ glistening on the Alpha's left arm. Bucky had scared the hell out of him but now he was so obviously alright, now he was standing there whole and healthy and _gorgeous_ —

“Tony?” Bucky rasped, licking his lips cos his mouth had gone sandbox status dry when he’d caught sight of the Omega’s pretty pink tongue on the point of those sweet fuckin’ fangs. “What-- what are you thinking, Omega?” 

“I’m thinking we should go shopping.” Tony finally answered, and _yes_ his cheeks were tinted pink and _yes_ he was biting at his lip like he was nervous but there was no hesitation in the dark eyes as the Omega peered up through his lashes at Bucky, nothing but clear intent in his voice when Tony’s full lips curved up in a knowing smile and he finished, “You’re like a Biker Gang Ken Doll and I can’t wait to play dress up with you.” 

_Fuck_. The Alpha audibly gulped, practically panting and definitely drooling just a little bit after being so thoroughly checked out and then apparently winning the gotdang lottery because ho ho holy _crap_ his Omega was so sexy, so so sexy, just so over the top ridiculously pretty and it wasn’t _fair_ Tony could look so innocent and so wicked all at the same time pulling the hoodie back up over his curls and cuddling into Bucky’s clothes like he belonged there on the couch and in Bucky’s bed and taking over his entire damn _life_.

“Now _you’re_ staring.” Tony was back to being shy, looking teeny tiny and half past precious as he hid his hands in the long sleeves and flushed darker red under Bucky’s scrutiny. “Should I not have said that?” 

“Bright eyes, you just say whatever the hell you want whenever you want to say it.” Bucky finally managed real words, actual syllables instead of the greedy, grabby noise he’d been all of two seconds from making. “I’ll go get dressed and then we can go. Keep the hoodie. Wear it. Please don’t take it off.” 

“Okay then.” the Omega lit up with one of those heart stopping, mega watt smiles that made Bucky feel like he’d offered Tony the moon instead of just a decades old hoodie he might have stolen from a gift shop one time on vacation. “I’ll be right here waiting.”

“And I’ll be--” _trying to figure out if I can get a knot off in two_ _minutes so I don’t come in my pants watching you walk into the mall_. “-- right back. Don’t go anywhere.” 

********

Bucky had never even _seen_ a store like the one Tony took him to. 

In fact, the Alpha wasn’t even sure the place was a _store_ and not some super secret rich person venue in an alternate universe because honestly everything was so over the top he couldn’t seem to get a grip on it. 

First had been the limo that dropped them off in front of a building with no windows on the bottom floor and a locked door where Tony had to enter a code before he could get in. Then a ride in a mirrored elevator that had definitely _not_ hidden how many times Bucky had looked down the the little Omega’s booty much to Tony’s blushing giggles and Bucky’s mortification. 

The doors had opened into what sort of looked like a hallway in a hotel, if hotels had insanely thick carpet and double doors for each room and people running around with trays of mimosas and chocolates. Bucky and Tony had been swept into one of the rooms with Tony speaking in a flurry of Italian and maybe even French to the woman helping them and then next thing Bucky knew he was just about nekkid in front of three different mirrors while various… minions?... took his measurements and patted at his muscles. 

“Uh, sugar?” he asked helplessly, and Tony only laughed at him from an overstuffed couch, popping chocolate in his mouth and gesturing towards Bucky as he prattled on with the woman about shirts and pants and then Bucky lost the conversation completely because someone approached him with a pair of tiny, _shiny_ boxer briefs and held them up to his dick with a thoughtful expression. 

“TONY!” 

“None of that.” Tony waved away the little shorts and grinned up at the Alpha. “What, you don’t shop like this?” 

“ _Is_ this shopping?” Bucky asked in bewilderment. “Cos I don’t even see any clothes! I just need some pants babydoll, we can get those at the dollar store or something!” 

The woman who had taken his measurements gasped in sheer shock and Bucky rolled his eyes. “Tony. Seriously with this?” 

“You promised I could play dress up with you.” Tony was still wearing Bucky’s hoodie and batted away someone else’s attempt to take it from him. “This is me playing dress up. Pose nice in the mirror like a good Alpha and it will be over soon.” 

“If you weren’t so damn pretty, I wouldn’t stand for this.” the Alpha pointed a finger at Tony, who only giggled and fluttered those damn eyelashes and pulled the collar of the hoodie up to his nose to hide his grin and…

...and yeah okay. Bucky was gonna stand here until the end of time if it meant the Omega would keep looking at him like _that_. 

Fortunately for everyone involved, it took no more than an hour for Tony to settle on meet- the- parents appropriate clothing for the Alpha, and once Bucky was swathed in nice pants and a red fitted sweater that made his arms and shoulders look top tier excellent, the Omega clapped his hands in excitement and decided, “Okay. All done. That wasn’t so bad, was it?” 

“I dunno.” Bucky twisted in the mirror so he could see his butt in the pants. “Feel like I oughta put these away in a safe to keep them clean, they’re so fancy. How much were the clothes?” 

“Don’t worry about it.” Tony signed a receipt and gave it back to one of the assistants. “I told you I’d pay for clothes when we started all this.” 

“Tony.” Bucky raised his eyebrows pointedly and the Omega sighed as if put out by the demand. “Tell me how much it cost.” 

“Less than rent but more than some car payments.” the Omega said casually and Bucky strangled through a horrified wheeze. “Alpha. It’s _fine_. I don’t expect you to wear this sort of thing all the time. In fact--” a teasing little smile that about stopped the Alpha’s heart. “-- I sort of prefer you in the torn jeans and tank top look.” 

“Greasy Mechanic Bronco does it for you, huh?” Bucky waggled his eyebrows and Tony laughed up at him. “I knew it. Uptown Omegas always like those backstreet Alphas. Billy Joel sure knew what the hell he was talkin’ about in the song.” 

“I suppose he did.” The Omega glanced around their private room to be sure they were alone, then stepped up onto the raised dais and onto his toes to dot a very quick, very chaste kiss to Bucky’s mouth. “Thank you for being willing to do this for me.” 

“Sweet thing.” Automatically, _instinctively_ _,_ the Alpha’s arm wound tight around that little waist and brought Tony right back for another kiss, just as quick, just as chaste and yet infinitely _better_ because this time they were holding each other. “Keep batting those eyelashes at me and just _see_ what I'll do for you.”

“Oh.” It was actually lethal the way Tony could go from teasing and snarky to prim and flushing pretty pink, from sassy and hilarious to biting at his lip with those little fangs and blinking in surprise like he’d never been complimented in his life. “...really?”

“Mercy, baby doll.” Bucky whispered, and kissed his Omega just one more time. “I’ll die from all that cute and I don’t want my obituary to say I gave up the ghost while in a weird rich people shopping mall.” 

Tony huffed at him and pushed away, not so fast that the Alpha couldn’t set him back gently on the ground though. “If you’re going to stick around, you’ll have to get used to some of this and stop calling it weird rich people stuff!” 

“Oh I’m gonna stick around.” Bucky said confidently. “But this?” a quick motion around the room, the gold edged mirrors and ultra plush carpet. “This will always be weird for me, sugar. You can take the Bronco out of the garage but you can’t take the garage out of the Bronco.” 

The Omega only _looked_ at him and Bucky shrugged sheepishly, “Or you know, something like that.” 

“Well, I think either way you should--” 

“Hey, are you gonna get new clothes too?” the Alpha interrupted and Tony paused to glance down at his own clothes. “Not that these ones aren’t pretty but... but you know.” 

“I know _what_?” Tony looked at himself in the mirror, tugged up the hoodie to show the blousy top, then looked down at the fitted khakis and lace up, knee high calfskin boots, “What’s wrong with my clothes, you don’t like my clothes?”

“I love your clothes.” Bucky countered. “But you dress like you belong with someone like Tiberius, not like you’ve been wrapped around someone like _me_ for the last couple months.” 

“Oh, I guess that’s true.” Come to think of it, Tony _had_ bought this blouse on a shopping trip with Ty and now was as good a time as any to stop looking like he was still in a relationship with that jerk. “Well-ll-ll how do you want me to dress then?”

“Shit.” Bucky swallowed a ready growl of _mine_ and rubbed a hand over his mouth. “I’m not gonna tell you how to dress.”

“But you could.” Tony hopped up on the pedestal next to Bucky and met the Alpha’s gaze in the mirror, red staining his cheeks but eyes determined as he continued, “If you wanted to, I mean. And if we’re going to convince my parents we’re together maybe you should have some say in what I'm wearing?”

Bucky just did another one of those hard swallows, and Tony gathered all his courage to ask, “How do you want _your_ Omega to dress, Bucky?”

“Yeah alright.” This time Bucky didn’t manage to quiet the growl and the Omega whimpered softly in response. “Alright um, I would want _my_ Omega in something that shows off their legs.” 

The Alpha swept his big hand down over the curve of Tony’s hip to the top of his thigh and tapped meaningfully at the outer seam of the khakis. “But not uh-- not too revealing cos you’re _mine_ and no one else needs to see you, not the way _I_ see you.”

The Omega shivered and Bucky tightened his fingers at Tony’s leg before shuffling closer so he was looming over Tony in the mirror, his voice lowering _rough_ when he brought silver fingers up to Tony’s shoulder and then further to tangle in his hair again. “I like when you wear glitter, sugar. I like when you show a little skin right here at your shoulders and it sparkles. Like when you wear your hair all loose and curly ‘stead of gelled back and perfect.” 

And then nearly a rumble as the Alpha pulled aside the neckline of the hoodie to bare Tony’s throat, “Like when I can see this here, when I can see your heart poundin’ _here_ like you’re just waitin’ for a bite.” 

_Fangs_ , glinting in the low light as Bucky dug just the sharpest point into the Omega’s neck, scraped along the porcelain skin until twin marks bloomed red at the curve of Tony’s throat, caught Tony up careful when the Omega’s knees gave out over a desperate little squeak and the dressing room drenched in the scent of honey sweet _arousal_.

“Yeah, sweet thing.” the Alpha groaned, closing bright silver fingers over Tony’s throat and crooning into his ear. “Fuck, you’re so sweet. So good. Fella could get drunk on the way you scent.”

“Do you--” Tony wet his lips and tried to get words past his tongue. “Do you want to- to see me in something like that? Do you want to um-- I mean-- I could try something on and you could-- you could see me in it? Tell me if you like it?”

“Omega.” Bucky’s pale blue eyes flared molten red. “ **Yes**.” 

********

Tony wasn’t an Omega that usually did his own shopping, hell he wasn’t even an Omega who usually went to a store at all but after Bucky had given him a list of ideas, Tony waved off the assistant who knocked on their door and headed down the long hallway to the inventory room himself, determined to pick out something that would keep turning his Alpha’s eyes that particular shade of _red_. 

It took close to half an hour to find exactly what he wanted in the colors he thought looked the best, but the time spent was _worth_ _it_ when Tony got back into their private room already changed into the clothes and ready to show Bucky. 

“Holy shit, Omega.” Bucky went from slouching on the couch by the mirror to up on his feet in an instant, eyes flickering from pale blue back to _red_ and fangs making an appearance as he stalked towards the raised podium and circled Tony with slow, purposeful steps. “Look at _you_.” 

“Do you like it?” Tony had never worn tights under short shorts before, but he sort of loved the opaque black beneath the indigo denim and judging by the way the Alpha zeroed in on his rear, Bucky loved it too.

And his top wasn’t so much loose as it was strategically _slouchy_ , slipping off to one side to bare his shoulder and show off a dusting of glitter at his collar bone, the material so soft it was begging to be touched, the weave open enough to show hints of the lace camisole the Omega was wearing beneath. 

Tony wasn’t even showing that much skin, not showing off much more than his legs but the overall effect was stunning, the casual rumple to his hair nearly wanton and it bowled the Alpha over like he’d been hit by a goddamn _train_. 

“Look at you.” Bucky repeated and this time it was barely more than a groan as he buried his nose in Tony’s hair and exhaled noisily, gripped at the Omega’s hips tight and then gentler at that little waist and then cautious but practically helpless as he skated a touch over the front of the denim shorts. “Tony, this is-- you are-- you look--” 

Tony gasped and grabbed at the Alpha’s wrist to keep him _there_ , canted his hips up and rubbed into Bucky’s palm and the Alpha snarled hungrily, bared his fangs and Tony parted his mouth to show off his own sharp teeth in an obvious little flirt. 

“Need a pair’a ridin’ boots and you’ll fit just perfect on my bike, sweet thing.” the Alpha rumbled and Tony’s answer was nothing more than a shaky mewl. “You'd look so good straddling that thing with the engine vibrating up between your legs.”

Bucky dragged the heel of his hand down Tony's zipper, then curled his fingers to trace the out line of the slender cock and Tony whimpered, rolled up into the touch and stood on his toes to rub his butt right into Bucky, right up against the hard jut of _Alpha_ straining in Bucky's dress pants.

“ _Bucky_.”

“Nah baby doll, when you're scenting like this you call me Alpha.” Bucky growled, and Tony whined, “ _Alpha_.”

“Call me _Alpha_.” he rumbled, dug his fangs back into Tony's neck and felt his throat go parched and hungry cos he wanted to taste blood so bad, wanted to fill the Omega right _there_ at his neck and right _there_ where Tony was opening his thighs and arching his back and coaxing the Alpha closer and closer...

“Mr. Stark?” A knock at the door and Tony startled with a quiet shriek. “Mr. Stark, I have the other items you requested!” 

“Oh my god.” Tony covered his mouth with both hands when the reality of the situation came rushing back to him, when he caught sight of himself flushed and wanton and halfway to gone in the mirror. “B-Bucky.” 

“Yeah.” the Alpha pushed his forehead into Tony’s shoulder and shuddered through an audible sigh, eased his hands back to more neutral territory on the Omega. “Sweet thing we should have a talk real soon. Maybe not before your parents tonight cos I know you’re stressed out about it but maybe after?” 

“After.” Tony’s heart was in his throat, his entire body strung tight and ready to snap if his Alpha would just-- if they could just have a few more minutes uninterrupted. “So-- so do you approve of my clothes tonight?”

Bucky groaned like it physically pained him to walk away, and left a kiss over Tony’s pulse. “I approve, but I gotta get outta here before I lose my mind.” 

The second the dressing room closed behind the Alpha, Tony collapsed into a heap in front of the mirrors, not sure if he wanted to laugh in exhilaration over the lack of _pretending_ that had happened just then, or scream in frustration because the assistant had interrupted at exactly the wrong moment. 

If they could just make it through dinner tonight then he and Bucky could actually talk and figure some things out.

And then after they talked and figured some things out, Tony wanted to get right back to _this_ moment where Bucky was only a few minutes from tearing Tony's clothes off and knotting him up right then and there.

First dinner. 

Then a talk.

Then—then--

 _Whoo boy_. It would only be a few hours tonight. Dinner and a few hours of small talk, then an actual important conversation and then they could--

Tony hid his face in his hands to cover a full body blush.

\--then they could find the ending to a sentence the Omega couldn't quite say out loud yet.

***********

**Chapter Notes:**

> **[Art for Mechanic!Alpha!Bucky](https://saganarojanaolt.tumblr.com/post/621648611517841408/mechanicalphabucky-from-not-close-to-straight) **
> 
> **[Art for the prettiest, softest Omega!Tony](https://saganarojanaolt.tumblr.com/post/622589468497657856/omegatony-from-not-close-to-straight-s-babe-an) **


	7. Chapter 7

“Here, Omega. Have a bite of this.” If Bucky wasn’t concentrating so damn hard on not dropping the most expensive fork he’d ever seen in front of the wholly intimidating and wildly, ridiculously wealthy Alpha Howard Stark and the stunningly beautiful, equally intimidating Dame Omega Maria Carbonell Stark, he might have seen the snarky-turned- _adoring_ smile on Tony’s face when the Omega obediently opened his mouth and let Bucky feed him a bite of fish. 

“Good, right? Your ma’s a great cook.” Bucky only let himself relax once the fork was back on a shockingly delicate, _radically_ floral fine dining plate. “S’real good food, Mrs. Stark.”

“Only close friends of the family call my mate _Mrs. Stark_.” Howard paused before taking a bite of his own fish. “Those we don’t know or choose _not_ to know, refer to my wife as Dame Omega Carbonell Stark.” 

“That’s entirely unnecessary, my love.” Maria’s smile for her husband and mate was a little sharp, more fanged than sweet. “He can call me Mrs. Stark, in fact Bucky, you could just call me _Maria_. Honestly, there’s no reason to stand on formality especially when you are charming enough to think I cook my own food. I don’t think I’ve so much as seen the inside of the kitchen in this particular house, but I'll be sure to pass the compliments on to the chef." 

“Thank you ma’am, er-- Mrs.-- uh Dame--.” Bucky glanced between Tony’s parents then back at his Omega and swallowed hard. “You know, I wouldn’t want to offend nobody -- uh anybody. Wouldn’t want to offend _anybody_ , so I don’t mind the title. I’ll just stick with the title.” 

“I’d like a drink, Alpha.” Tony was trying hard not to let how _nervous_ he was bleed into his scent and tense Bucky up any further, so he called the Alpha’s attention back to him and forced a bright smile. “Please?” 

“Sure thing, sweet thing.” the Alpha automatically reached for a glass of water, then switched and got the wine instead, then bit off a black curse when the water glass teetered and started to spill. 

“I got it.” Tony whispered, caught the glass with one hand before bringing the other up to sweep his fingers along the Alpha’s jaw line. “You’re doing fine. Just breathe. It’s okay. _Breathe_.” 

“Tony, if I breathe too hard I’m gonna crack the super expensive fancy ass plate that I didn’t know real people ate food on.” Bucky whispered back and the Omega laughed softly. “Should I really call your mom _Dame_?” 

“I'd sort of like to hear you call her _Maria_ just so the vein in my dad’s head pops.” Tony’s dark eyes fluttered closed when Bucky turned just enough to nuzzle at his palm. “And then we could leave. You look so handsome tonight, I'd much rather be playing dress up than eating seafood with my parents.”

“Yeah well you look…” Bucky bit down at his tongue so he wouldn’t growl over Tony’s outfit. The dressing room hadn’t been _that_ much earlier in the day, but apparently it’d been long enough that Bucky had forgotten just how good Tony’s legs looked in the tights, the way the glitter at his collarbone and shoulders looked like goddamn diamonds and some how still paled next to the sparkle of the Omega’s bright eyes. 

“You look amazin', Tony.” he finally gulped. “Just real fuckin' amazin'. Prettiest damn Omega I've ever--”

“If you’re done _ogling_ my son, maybe we could finish our meal.” Howard interrupted and Tony’s heart clenched in sympathy when his Alpha went tense all over again. “That is, if anyone still has their appetite? The table is _not_ the place for public displays of affection, Tony.” 

“Of course not, Dad.” Tony forced a tight lipped smile, not wanting to push the issue by baring his fangs in the Alpha’s direction. “Sorry.” 

“Mr. Barnes, my son asked you for a drink.” Maria cut in, but at least her expression was friendly. “Don’t let us interrupt you, it’s nice to see Tony being taken care of for once. All Tiberius ever did was have Tony serve him, as if Alphas weren’t put on this earth to take care of every one of their _Omega’s_ needs.” 

“Maria.” Howard sighed as if this were an age old argument, but Bucky tuned out whatever the other Alpha said in favor of offering Tony the wine glass and asking, “Do they really expect me to do this all the time?” 

“No, of course not. Getting me every drink and bite of food to eat is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. But I am suddenly getting _very_ used to being pampered and I think you should keep it up.” Tony batted his lashes at Bucky and giggled when the Alpha made a strangled, punched out sort of noise. “From now on, even if we’re eating messy pizza I expect you to hand feed me every piece.” 

“Sugar, you keep looking at me like this and I’ll hand feed you anything you want.” Bucky promised and this time Tony’s smile was all fang and flirting and the Alpha gave in to the since-dressing-room-urge to lean in and--

“Mr. Barnes!” Howard practically shouted to interrupt what was sure to be a _non_ dinner appropriate kiss and the pair leapt apart, Tony _eep_!ing in surprise and Bucky putting a hand over his mouth in a guilty expression. “A word with you in my study, now!” 

“If I don’t make it out of this alive, don’t let Natasha give my bike to her bratty Omega.” Bucky hissed. "Clint is the worst driver in the world!" 

Tony covered a laugh into his next drink and murmured, “Good luck.” 

Bucky followed Howard out of the dining room and towards the study, and Maria promptly turned to Tony and raised her eyebrows, “So!” 

“Yes, Mama?” Tony answered obediently. “What is it?” 

“ _So_.” Maria said again, folding her hands and pursing her lips.“Your new Alpha.” 

“Mm-hmm?” 

“His pants are certainly snug in specific places.” Maria finally finished and Tony lit up with a grin. “Had them tailored, did we?”

“Mama.” the Omega blushed clear to his hair. “I only had to have them tailored around the waist. Everything _else_ is just how good Bucky fills pants out all by himself."

“Oh my.” Maria took a few sips of wine. “How interesting!” 

“Yes Mama.” Tony took a sip as well and let his eyes twinkle over the rim at her. “It is _very_ interesting. Bucky is allsorts of _interesting_.” 

“Oh darling, please tell me his name isn't actually Bucky?” 

“Apparently the pretty Omegas get to call him _Bronco_.” Tony said innocently, and the Dame Omega barked a shocked laugh, then clapped her hands over her face so she wouldn’t spit wine all over the table. “I haven’t had the chance to use that particular moniker yet though.” 

“You haven't had the chance, but all signs point to you having certainly had the _pleasure_ , hm?” Maria noted and Tony blushed all over again. “Ah. Yes, you most certainly have. And was your Bucky kind? Giving? Attentive to your needs?” 

“Well, _he_ didn’t have the pleasure, only me.” Tony countered meaningfully and Maria _hmm_ ’d in interest. “So I would say yes, he is attentive and giving and then refrain from commenting further because you are my mother and this is a weird conversation.”

“I am inclined to agree.” Maria went back to her food, chewing thoughtfully at her entree before offering, “But if you _were_ to comment?”

“We dirty danced the other night.” Tony twirled a piece of salad on his fork. “It would seem like the _Bronco’s_ well tailored pants are hiding something thicker than my wrist.” 

This time wine _did_ come out of the Dame Omega’s nose and her laughter rang through the house, out of the dining room and down the hall to Howard’s study, where neither funny conversation nor laughter was happening. 

“Mr. Barnes.” Howard began after an unsettling moment of complete silence. “I would ask about your intentions with my son.”

“Oh.” Bucky blinked a few times as he both breathed a sigh of relief over not getting the third degree, and also tried to figure out how to politely tell the other Alpha that he had every intention of burying his knot inside Tony and not letting go until they were mated and bonded and death-do-they-parted. “Well uh--” 

“Let me finish.” Howard cut in. “As I was saying, I _would_ ask about your intentions with my son but to be quite honest, I’m fully aware of your intentions with my son.” 

…. _shit_. 

“I know how Alphas think.” Howard tapped his own temple, then pointed at Bucky. “And unfortunately for you, I’ve come across a _Iot_ of your sort, and I can’t say I have ever approved.” 

“My sort?” Bucky’s lip curled in immediate offense. “Th’fuck does that mean?” 

“It means exactly that.” Howard poured himself a glass of brandy and took a long swallow. “Alphas that can’t put a proper sentence together, Alphas who let my son buy them clothes and take them fancy places but can’t be bothered to act even halfway decent at public gatherings.” 

Bucky started to sneer and Howard nodded, “Yes, I heard all about what happened at the engagement party, heard about your behavior at the wine bar, posturing and growling at Tiberius, heard all about how you nearly took Justin Hammer’s head off for so much as looking at Tony.” 

“The Justin guy was--” 

“An arrogant asshole who I’d never let within a half dozen yards of my son, but that doesn’t excuse _you_ acting feral towards him.” the Alpha interrupted. “I will tolerate your presence in Tony’s life so long as you behave and learn your place but if that is too difficult for you…” 

The sentence trailed off and Bucky looked down to blink the red from his eyes before asking through clenched teeth, “If that is too _difficult_ for me?” 

“...then I’d be happy to relieve you of the burden.” Howard opened a drawer and pulled out his checkbook. “How much money is a lot to someone like you? Ten thousand? Twenty thousand?” 

“Sorry, are you trying to _pay_ me to leave Tony alone?” Bucky gaped. “I thought the payoff only applied if I knocked him up, and _fuck_ that's bad enough!" 

“Fifty, then.” Howard ignored the outrage in Bucky's voice and waited with pen poised. “Enough to get the little shop of yours out of any debt and attracting some real customers.” 

“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Bucky gave up trying to be polite, trying to navigate the situation with grace and enough composure to make sure Tony didn't get upset. “Are you fucking _kidding_ me, you’re gonna put a price tag on your kid being _happy_?!”

“Don’t flatter yourself, son.” the other Alpha said tightly. “It’s not Tony’s _happiness_ I’m putting a price tag on, it’s his _future_. He is set to inherit one of the largest trust funds in existence, a majority ownership in our tech company and any Alpha Tony links himself to is potentially on the hook for all of it. If you think I’m going to let him squander the chance at a good match because he likes how your pants fit or the way you're rebellious enough to not hide your _damage,_ you are a bigger fool than I previously suspected.”

Bucky clenched his left fist tight hard enough to make the gears grind together and Howard huffed out an annoyed breath. 

“A hundred, then. A hundred thousand dollars. Enough for you to break it off with Tony before we run into a risk for pregnancy and to make it well worth several years of a secure future to ease any misplaced heartbreak. Is it Barnes with an ‘s’ or an ‘es’?”

Howard began writing out the check,. “Break it off with Tony a bit brutally, won’t you? Devastating enough to send him back this way but not so devastating that he won’t want to date for a while. Even if we can’t make the match with Ty work, I have several others in mind to fill the void.”

“Now you listen here.” Bucky straightened up slowly, his full height standing him four inches over the other Alpha, lips pulling back in a snarl that bared every bit of his curving fangs. “And you listen fucking _right_.” 

The Brooklyn drawl came through thick and ominous when the Alpha was pissed off, the words deceptively soft and altogether _dangerous_. “You put th’fuckin’ check book away cos there ain’t an amount of money that’s gonna convince me to leave Tony alone.” 

“I don’t think you understand what--” 

“I understand all right.” Bucky shifted his weight and clenched his fists at his side. “You think m’damaged, think I’m in it all cos Tony buys me things, think I get a kick outta playin’ fancy with an Omega outta my league?” 

“That’s at least half of it.” Howard agreed and Bucky’s snarl broke free from his chest, low and menacing enough to make the other Alpha back up a step. 

“Lemme be real clear about this.” Bucky growled. “I’m gonna stay with Tony till that Omega gets sick of me and kicks me to th’curb. Don’t care how much money you wave in front of me, or what th’fuck you say about what Tony needs or wants cos all I care about is whether or not he’s smiling.” 

“Then you’re a bloody idiot.” Howard growled right back. “An idiot because it will never work between the two of you. Even ifI allowed it--” 

“ _If_ you allowed it?” Tony spoke from the doorway, eyes wide and brimming with tears. He’d come down the hall with Maria as when they heard Bucky growl, but now he’d caught the last few lines from his Dad, saw the open check book and the numbers half filled out, and the way Bucky looked ready to kill someone and asked shakily, “Dad? What are you doing?” 

“Oh Howard.” the Dame Omega’s face washed pale. “You promised. You _promised_ not to do this! You promised to let Tony prove he was happy before you tried to get rid of the Alpha!” 

“Yes well, that was _before_ I saw his current choices in bed partners.” Howard sniffed, and before Bucky could snarl in outrage or Maria could berate her husband, Tony burst into tears and ran from the room. 

“Goddamn you.” Maria hissed. “You always do this! I only see the boy every once in a while and every time he comes home you make him feel so bad about himself! Are you happy now? Happy your child is in tears and you embarrassed me in front of--”

“You two sort this out.” Bucky gently but _firmly_ put Maria aside so he could get out the door. “I have more important things t’do than listen to rich people bitch about the lack of fuckin’ love in their relationship.” 

“Now see here---!” Howard started to protest and Bucky only flipped him off as he jogged away in search of his Omega, not caring a single bit about the argument that exploded behind him. 

Tony’s parents or not, able to ruin his life with a few words or _not_ , Bucky wasn’t going to stand there and play nice while Tony off off somewhere crying. 

_No fucking way._

“Sugar?” Bucky found Tony on not the first or second, but the _third_ set of double doors that led out to a balcony. _Rich people and their unnecessary houses, man_. “Hey, are you okay? I’m sorry about yelling at your Pops and making your mom upset--” 

“It’s not your fault, they’re always like this.” Tony interrupted, voice muffled in his hands as he leaned on the balcony railing. “Dad’s always an asshole and Mama always gets mad about it and it’s exactly the reason why I never come home.” 

“Tony--” 

“How much did he offer you?” the Omega asked bluntly and Bucky sighed, shook his head. “No, tell me. I’d like to know how much it was worth it to him to break us up, maybe I should start paying you _more_ for these pseudo dates!” 

Tony was bitter, spitting the words out angrily. “How much did he offer you? Did he act like he was doing you a favor by pushing you away, or was this one about doing _me_ a favor? Did he use the word 'free' cos he did that a lot the last time I broke up with Ty and tried to date someone new.” 

“Sweetheart--” 

“I hate when he says it too.” Tony’s shoulders hunched like he was trying to hide. “Cos there’s nothing _free_ about any of this. I wasn’t free with Tiberius and I wasn’t free without him. I’m an Omega and I’m ridiculously rich which somehow means even my _heart_ can be bought and traded like a commodity and if that seems like freedom to _anyone_ \--!” 

The Omega dragged in a nearly devastated breath. “God, I forgot how trapped I feel in this house. Fancy silverware and gourmet food and outrageously expensive furniture. Trapped. It’s like a _cage_ and I know I sound like a whiny brat complaining about the silver spoon in my mouth but Bucky I swear I hate this. I hate it.”

“Hey.” Bucky finally just grabbed Tony by the waist, hooked his left arm around his Omega and dragged him up close until they were nose to nose. “Tony Tony Tony, _listen_.” 

“I’m listening.” Tony stilled the moment Bucky touched him, closed his eyes and tried hard to relax. “What?” 

“Do you--” the Alpha paused, wet his lips a little nervously. “Do you feel trapped with me, Tony? When we’re at the shop together or hanging out at your fancy places? Do you feel trapped with me?”

“...no.” Tony shook his head and Bucky’s arm tightened around him. “No, I don’t feel trapped with you. Not ever.”

“That’s real good, sugar.” Bucky tipped the Omega’s chin up and dotted a kiss on Tony’s full lips. “So why don't you let me take you outta here? Let’s get some distance between us and your parents and then I'll show you some real freedom, yeah?” 

“P-Promise?”

“I promise.” Bucky kissed him one more time, this one longer and full of _promise_. “C'mon baby doll. Let's you and me hit the road.”

*********

*********

“Oh no, I can’t do this.” Tony’s hands were shaking so badly he couldn’t even get a grip on the handlebars of Bucky’s bike. “Bucky, I can’t drive a motorcycle. I can’t even drive a _car_ , what makes you think I can handle your bike? This is a bad idea.”

“All ideas are bad ideas when you're ridin' with the Bronco.” Bucky teased lightly, but when the Omega shrieked in fear, he amended, “Sorry, sorry I shouldn'a said that. You got this sugar, you can handle my bike no problem.

“I can't!”

“You _can_ cos I'll be right here with you.” Bucky settled the Omega more snuggly on the seat in front of him, kept that pert rear wedged tight between his thighs and then reached around Tony's waist to fold the Omega's hands over the bars. “Just take off slow, open her up nice and easy, check the corners before you race around ‘em. That's all there is to it. You’ll be fine, and I’m here as back up in case you start losing control.” 

“Bucky.” The Omega was _terrified_ _,_ trembling in Bucky’s grasp. “Seriously, I can’t do this." 

“You can.” Bucky eased the bike off the center kick stand and held her steady while Tony found balance. “I’m right here, baby doll. You've got this, and I've got you. Let's go for a ride.”

The Alpha had dragged Tony away from the house immediately after their conversation on the balcony, not bothering to get any food to go, not bothering to say goodbye to the still arguing pair in the study. Bucky had directed the limo back to his shop, and then had hauled the Omega out of the back seat and right onto his bike for an impromptu but badly needed ride. 

Taking the curving roads up into the mountains with Tony pressed tight to his back and clinging about his waist had been fun for several different reasons, and Bucky had enjoyed every second. But he had still pulled over at a look out and bodily lifted the little Omega off the back seat and around to the front for a chance to control the bike too.

Freedom meant the chance to choose your own path, and for someone like Tony, it could be as simple as just being able to _drive_ for once in his life. 

And now Tony was _terrified_ , trembling and trying to make excuses for how it wouldn't work, but Bucky just turned the key to start the bike again and waited for the easy thrum of the engine to lull his Omega back towards _settled_. 

“S’real easy, Tony.” the Alpha closed Tony’s slim hands over the bars again and revved the throttle just a little bit. “Feel that? Feel that edge where she wants to move? All you gotta do is push her over that edge and into moving and it’s just fine. I’ll be here to hold on to you, okay?” 

“You’ll take over if I get going too fast?” Tony asked timidly and Bucky nodded, notched his nose behind the Omega’s ear and rumbled out comfortingly. “And the corners?” 

“Tony.” He let his fangs scrape just lightly down Tony’s throat until he could feel a thready purr. “Yeah there you are, beauty, I knew you'd purr for me again. Just _drive_. You know you want to. You know you wanna open her up and see what she can do, you know you’re safe with me to help so just _go_.” 

“Just-- just go?” 

“ _Go_.” Bucky ordered, then softer, “I’ve got you, Tony. I've always got you.” 

The bike roared to life, took off down the road faster than Tony was expecting but Bucky was right there behind him to help, the Alpha’s right arm holding Tony secure while his left rested on the handlebars to redirect if necessary. Bucky was so strong it would only take a light touch from his left hand to correct if Tony took them off course, and that knowledge make Tony slowly, eventually _reckless_. 

He was eventually _reckless_ with the bike, inching the speed up over thirty miles an hour, then forty and then fifty, pushing sixty on the straighter paths. _Reckless_ , and Tony took the first corner at a crawl, the second one at a modest notch below the speed limit and by the third he was leaning back into Bucky and letting the Alpha take over turning while Tony throttled the bike higher and higher.

The Omega got _reckless_ with the way he drifted over center lines, with the way he opened the engine up and chased the moon through its ascent up the mountain side, with the way he blinked through watery eyes when the wind whipped sharp around them and his hair blew back from his face.

 _Freedom_ , and Tony laughed in sheer delight as he kicked the machine up another notch and felt the _power_ vibrate through his body and into the warmth of Bucky at his back.

Faster, they went _faster_ and now the Alpha was laughing too as Tony shouted and whooped and took a sharp turn that would lead them to the lookout clear at the top of the mountain and right in front of full moon..

Faster, they went _faster_ and faster again and a hair pin turn came out of nowhere, a spray of gravel appeared on the road and Tony opened his mouth to scream in sudden fright--

\--- and Bucky took over in a split second. 

The bike skidded to a stop in the rocks at the turn, rear end fish tailing and brakes squealing, tires leaving rubber on the road before stuttering to stillness right up against the guardrail of the look out spot.

“You okay?” the Alpha kicked the bike stand out to let it rest, then smoothed his hands down Tony's side. “I told you I had ya, babydoll, you never had to worry. That was sorta quick though, you still with me?”

“F-fuck.” Tony was shaking, breathing hard, his hands braced on the brightly painted gas tank but his rose and vanilla scent burnt _high_ with exhilaration. “Bucky. That was incredible. Riding with you was incredible. I can't believe-- I can't believe--” 

“Sweetheart?” Bucky rubbed his nose where Tony's pulse was thundering out of control, crooned comfortingly because he just wasn't sure what Tony was feeling, if the Omega was terrified or if he was exhilarated or if this entire thing had been a bad idea and Bucky had pushed Tony too far out of his comfort zone too soon...

“ _Alpha_.”

“Tony?”

“Alpha, kiss me.”

One second Bucky was worrying if he needed to apologize for putting Tony in danger on the bike, and the next second he had his arms full of Omega and mouth full of _tongue_ as Tony wriggled and twisted around on the seat and crushed their mouths together.

“Alpha _kiss me_.” Tony moaned. “ _Please_.”

There wasn't an Alpha alive that would say _no_ to their Omega begging for a kiss, and Bucky was no exception. Tony said please, called him _Alpha_ and in that moment Bucky would have done anything for his Omega, anything at all.

“More.” Tony curled his fingers into the leather jacket and tried to get closer to his Alpha. “Alpha, I want more.”

“Oh I got more for you, sweet thing.” Bucky sucked at Tony's tongue when it ventured into his mouth, scraped red along a plump bottom lip and licked at it to soothe the hurt, spanned that little waist with both his hands, slid down over the curvy rear beneath those distracting shorts and gripped at Tony's thighs, palmed over the sparkle and texture of those damn tights. “I want you so bad, Tony, you're makin' me crazy in this outfit, all spread out on my bike like this. Fuckin' gorgeous.”

“Do something about it, then.” The Omega broke their kiss so he could push Bucky's mouth down to his throat, whining and wriggling invitingly when sharp teeth landed at his jaw, at his heart beat, down to the curve of his shoulder. “I want you too, so _do_ something about it.”

“You want me to do something about it.” Bucky huffed a laugh, mussed up Tony's perfect curls with his hands and pulled Tony into until their noses bumped and foreheads met. “Then I need ya to give me a real clear _yes_ right now, sugar. Not a yes cos you're emotional or a yes cos the bike's got you all horny but a yes cos you for real want me. You want me, Omega?”

“Can it be th-that the bike is making me horny _and_ that I want you?” Somehow Tony managed to be shy right now, managed to stammer over his words and flush soft pink beneath the moonlight even though his eyes were sparking bright and his entire body arced into every pass of Bucky's fingers. “Is-- is that okay?”

“Sweetheart, it's just _fine_.”

“Then yes. _Yes_ , I want you.”

“C'mere then.” Bucky was gentle gentle turning Tony back to face the front of the bike, gripping the Omega's lean hips and coaxing him to bend far over the gas tank, closing Tony's hands over the handlebars and snugging that ridiculous butt up into his lap. “Yeah babydoll, that's good like that.”

“You feel good, Alpha.” Tony let Bucky manhandle him willingly, squeezed tight at the handlebar and dug his others fingers into the Alpha's thigh where it lay heavy against his own and pinned him to the bike. “You feel so good right there.” 

“You feel good too, sweet thing.” Bucky groaned low, panting into the curve of Tony's throat and palming over the curve of the Omega's ass, rutting into the soft swell when Tony rolled his hips and ground against Bucky's zipper. “And god _damn_ I loved these shorts so much till I realized there was no way t’get ya outta them without stopping what we’re doin.” 

“Tear them, then.” the Omega whined anxiously, rubbed his forehead on the smooth gas tank and rocked back into Bucky's grip. His head was swimming with exhilaration, his nerves set wire taut and mired in the heavy scent of Alpha _rut_ , his core clenching and twinging and breath coming harsh as Bucky's growl vibrated through his skin, through his center, clear through to his soul.

“Tear them.” he gasped. “cos I don’t want to stop, don't want you to _stop_.” 

“You sure?” Bucky's vision went _red red red_ at the thought of ripping clothes, of tearing off shorts and seeing his Omega bared beneath the night sky, but he paused again just to be sure, just to check. “Tony, you _sure_?”

“Yes.” the Omega only arched that gorgeous back and offered up his throat, purring a devastatingly eager, “ _Yes_.” and Bucky's control broke just a little bit.

_Just a little bit._

The shorts tore easily beneath a silver grip, damn near shredded in fact and Bucky nearly _howled_ in victory when he finally could touch skin, when he could push aside the remnants of silky tights and feel his Omega _wet_ on his fingers. “ **Tony**.” 

“Alpha!” Tony mewled, whimpered at the first pressure at his rim, and then cried out as he opened up around his Alpha’s fingers, his body first tensing around the intrusion and then shuddering to beautifully _pliant_ when he finally had Bucky where he was clenching and empty and _needy_. 

“Yes…” he slurred and the Alpha murmured hot into his ear, “Louder sweet thing, s’just you and me and the moon Tony, no one’s gonna hear ya except me when you scream out what you want. Say itlouder _._ ” 

“ _Bucky_!” Tony dragged in a harsh breath and _shouted_ when the Alpha moved just right, held the handlebars till his knuckles were white when Bucky lay heavier over him and stretched him with two digits, nearly choked when there was suddenly _three_ _._ “ _Alpha_!” 

“Gorgeous.” Bucky growled in appreciation, worked his little Omega open with purposeful thrusts of his fingers and a twist of his wrist, the bruise of a too hard kiss and a sting of fangs over where Tony was flushed and beautiful and tasting so so sweet right over his bonding spot.

“This is even better than dancin', huh?” the Alpha rasped into Tony's ear, swirled his tongue along the delicate lobe and sucked at it hungrily, panting and moaning against the Omega's skin as Tony whined and shuddered around his fingers as they pumped inside him. “You gonna come for me right here, Omega? S'just you and me, just you and me bright eyes, wanna hear you screaming my name, come on.”

“Make me come.” the Omega popped his delicate fangs and give a pretty, _demanding_ growl of his own, twisted around until they could clash in a messy, uncoordinated kiss. “Make me come, Alpha, _please._ ” 

“Come on then.” Bucky wrapped his silver hand around Tony’s neck and squeezed just lightly, just enough to make the narrow hips undulate against his own as the Omega chased his pleasure. “Wanna feel you come on my fingers, babydoll, get me good and wet and covered in slick, let's see ya _mess_ sugar, I want you filthy and soaking wet and outta control--”

“ _Alpha_.” Tony came shaking, crying out into the moonlit sky and clawing at the bike tank for some kind of purchase as he ground back onto Bucky's fingers and spilled white all over the bike seat and tank. “B—Bucky--!” 

The Alpha snapped his jaw closed and dug his forehead into Tony’s shoulder so he wouldn’t _bite_ _,_ clenched his teeth and shuddered through a growl that came from his very core as he listened to Tony call for him, stutter through his name, through every sweet cry for Alpha. Bucky was _bursting_ in his pants, straining painful against the zipper, so hard he could barely even breathe but unwilling to pull free of the Omega’s body until he’d wrung every last bit of _everything_ from his mate--

\--from his--

\--from his **mate** \---

\--his _mate_.

_Oh shit._

“Touch me.” The Alpha's tone went almost subsonic, rough and almost savage as he ordered-- begged-- _pleaded_ because he was suddenly desperate to have his _mate_ touching him, he needed his mate's hands on him right now, right now, especially like this, especially _right now_ when Tony was so sated and scenting so sweet and still instinctively baring his throat like he needed to be _marked_.

“Tony.” Bucky managed, squeezing at Tony's waist helplessly, pleadingly. “Omega please. _Please_ touch me, I need you, need to feel you, c'mere and let me kiss you please. I _need_ you babydoll.”

“Let me up.” Tony wriggled his hips until Bucky slowly, tentatively eased out of him, then choked back a wanton sigh when the Alpha immediately plunged the digits into his own mouth to lick the taste of _slick_ away. “Ohh that’s so sexy.” He breathed. “Do you like how I taste, Alpha?” 

" _Fuck_ , you taste so good." 

Their mouths crashed together in an uncoordinated kiss the moment Tony turned enough on the bike seat to shove his hand into Bucky’s hair and drag the Alpha down to him. “Let me touch you.” he mumbled, scrabbling at the clasp of Bucky’s jeans with his free hand. “Let me touch you, come on.” 

“M’fuckin’ tryin;” Bucky breathed out a shaky laugh and tried to stand up enough to undo his zipper, barely made it to his feet before almost collapsing again when Tony wasted no time lifting the Alpha free of pants and shorts and closing his hand hot around Bucky's cock. “Shit sweetheart, don’t stop.” 

“Nonono not gonna stop.” They were close enough to share air, foreheads pushed together and lips brushing as they panted, _groaned_ , as Tony worked slim fingers up and down Bucky’s length, wiped through the bittersweet pre-come leaking from the fat head and then reached low to learn the weight and _size_ of the Alpha's burgeoning knot. “Kiss me, Alpha. Kiss me again, I can’t get enough of you.” 

Tony’s lip split beneath Bucky’s fangs when the Alpha surged forward and slammed their mouths back together, blood mingling copper against their tongues but not distracting from the hunger, from the desperation, from the way Bucky threw back his head and _shouted_ for his Omega when he finally spilled over into Tony’s grip, when the Omega squeezed at the swell of his knot and ripped a _roar_ from the Alpha’s throat. 

No one but the stars were watching when Alpha and Omega lost themselves in a kiss that went on and on and _on_ , the moment full of unspoken promises that neither Bucky nor Tony was _pretending_ anymore, that none of this was fake, that there was no way in hell they could deny how badly they _needed_ each other.

“Alpha...” Tony moaned listlessly as he licked over his palm and fingers, sucked the taste of Bucky from his skin. “Bucky...”

“Ohh-hh sweetheart.” The Alpha stuttered through a shaky breath. “You're comin' home with me tonight, alright? I gotta-- I gotta get you in my bed and covered with my scent. Come home with me.”

...And Tony just smiled, lolled his head back and sighed into the stars when the Alpha leaned in and mouthed a slow line of adoring kisses up his neck.

_My Alpha. **Mine**._

********

When they got back to the garage and Bucky's apartment that night, the Alpha picked Tony up and set him on one of the high counters, growled a soft, “Stay put.” and hurried through the rest of the chores for the night-- putting the bike away, locking up, shutting the safe and closing up the front office.

Then he swooped Tony off the counter and into his arms, held the little Omega so easily with his prosthesis and carried Tony right up the stairs and into the apartment.

“Shower.” Bucky decided, because he could still taste slick on his lips, could still scent the Omega on his fingers and he knew Tony would want to at least wipe down.

And then, “Shower _alone_.” because Tony undid his shorts right there and let them slide down his stockings to the floor and Bucky was immediately, painfully hard. This time he wouldn't want to stop at Tony just finishing on his fingers though, and they needed to have a real conversation before anything else could happen and there was no way in hell a real conversation would happen in the shower while the Omega was naked and—and soapy and--

“Yeah you're gonna-- you're gonna have to shower alone.”

Bucky almost died from the sheer cuteness afterwards, had to physically stop and put a hand to his heart and try not to croon when he found Tony wearing a too-large t-shirt from Bucky's own closet, hair damp and hanging in ringlets, skin pink from the shower and nothing but lots of _leg_ beneath the hem of the shirt because all of Tony's clothes were currently in the wash.

“You sure do make it hard for a fella to stay all gentleman-ly around you, sugar.” the Alpha said hoarsely. “Have some damn mercy and at least get under the covers so I don't gotta wonder about what's under that shirt.”

“Kay.” Tony blushed and ducked under the blankets, which did absolutely nothing for the state of Bucky's dick or his heart because now the Omega just looked positively precious curled up in the pillows and peeking out over the covers. “Better?”

“Not even a little bit.” Bucky bent and brushed a kiss to Tony's forehead, not trusting himself to kiss those tempting lips without giving in to the urge to bury his fangs in the gorgeous throat, not trusting himself to not fall to his knees and beg the Omega to let him sleep in the bed too. “I'll leave you here to sleep, but it sure seems like we should talk about a few things in the morning.”

“Maybe one or two things.” Tony admitted, glancing up at the Alpha from beneath his lashes and biting at his lip nervously. “But um-- thank you. For tonight. For what you did with my parents and for letting me go along for a ride and thank you for--” the blush darkened. “--for everything afterwards. Tonight was amazing.”

Bucky smiled, lingered at the door long enough to whisper, “Sweet dreams, sweet thing.” before he was gone, and Tony hugged a pillow up tight to his chest because he’d never felt so seen, so heard and so _loved_ in his entire life. 

_Cherished_ , was the right word actually. 

_Cherished_ , by an Alpha with grease on his fingers and a near permanent growl in his words, a leather jacket and a _fuck you_ attitude to anyone that didn’t treat them-- that didn’t treat _Tony_ \-- the way he thought was right. 

_Cherished_ , and Tony crawled out of the bed to tiptoe over to the top dresser and snoop through what he was pretty sure he’d seen when Bucky had grabbed a pair of pajama pants before heading down stairs. 

Yep, there it was in the back corner, a stack of envelopes all written in Tony’s hand, labeled with a date and place they’d gone together so Bucky could play pretend Alpha. 

Every time Tony had given Bucky payment for a date, the Alpha had simply stuffed it in his back pocket and didn’t say a word and now Tony could see that the envelopes had never even been opened, never counted or spent or anything. 

He was _cherished_ _,_ and Tony climbed back into the bed with a smile and a happy blush staining his cheeks, mind racing formulating a plan and an idea and a way to tell Bucky what he wanted. 

And in the morning Tony snuck out before the Alpha was stirring on the couch downstairs, left a note at the coffee maker and crept outside to meet his driver. 

> _Alpha,_
> 
> _Thank you for the ride._
> 
> _I'll call you so_ on. 
> 
> _Bright Eyes._


	8. Chapter 8

Tony didn’t call Bucky for a _week_. 

There were texts of course-- perfunctory information about their next event, what would be expected as far as decorum and behavior, and then politely worded requests for when and where they could meet. 

Then there were good night texts complete with smiley faces and heart emojis that left Bucky feeling like the rug had been yanked out from under his feet and sent him reeling towards love sick. 

But it was just _texts_ , and that was it. Tony didn’t actually pick up the phone and call Bucky for a solid _week_ and by the time another Saturday rolled around the Alpha was getting frustrated.

He was dropping tools and pinching fingers, cursing up an ongoing storm of increasingly colorful swear words because he couldn’t figure out what had gone wrong between them. He’d left Tony that night feeling like everything had gone perfectly _right_ and nowBucky couldn’t figure out why the Omega was pulling away. But then again, maybe Tony wasn’t pulling away because the sweet good night texts sure made it seem like Tony couldn’t wait to see him again...

It was confusing to say the least. Bucky was frustrated as hell and _fuck_ if Clint didn’t stop talking shit over there Bucky might actually shout at the usually sweet Omega. 

“All I’m sayin’ is that you look like you’re parked right square in mixed signals-ville.” Clint was saying, and Bucky closed his eyes and counted to at least a thousand to try and calm himself down. “You guys get all saxophone-y and halfway to naked, and then Tony up and hurries that ridiculous butt away? But sends you smiley faces late at night and says he can't wait to see you? Your ass is legit in mixed signal-ville and you should be hopping the next train to get th’fuck out.” 

“Is your Alpha around?” Bucky wanted to know, gritting his teeth and tightening the spokes on the candy apple red motorcycle. 

“Nah, Tash went out to get me food, why?” 

“Cos I don’t want her to be here when I tell ya _you make no goddamn sense when you talk in fucking train metaphors_ _!_ ” Patience finally snapped, the Alpha winged the tool across the garage and listened to it clatter against the far wall. “ _Damn_ _it_ , Clint! Talk in real words!” 

The Omega huffed a little but jogged across the garage to retrieve the piece, came back to hand it to Bucky, then squatted down next to him and said softly, “Look Buck. I love Tony’s butt as much as the next guy--” 

The Alpha _snarled_ and Clint put up both hands peacefully. “I’m gonna go ahead and start that sentence over. I know you’re crazy about Tony, and I know there’s a lot going on there behind the scenes with the whole fake dating thing and his Pops being a Grade A thundertwat and yeah, sexy times can really complicate an already complicated situation. But you can’t keep doing this. Call Tony and lay your feelings out and see what he says.”

“Tony said he would call me, so I gotta give him time to call me.” Bucky maintained, clenching his jaw hard enough to hurt. “A week ain’t all that long in the grand scheme of thing, I can’t expect him t’work through whatever it is in a few days, can’t rush a fella’s emotions like that.” 

“Are you being serious right now?” Clint cocked a disbelieving eyebrow at him. “I made up my mind about Tasha the first time we hooked up. I didn’t need a week to figure out my feelings.” 

“Yeah, you say that?” Bucky felt around for another fastener. “But you’ve been stringing that Alpha along for six solid months now waitin’ to tell her you want to bond. You wanna talk about takin’ a train to Mixed Signalsville-- you got Tasha fuckin’ renting a place there waiting for your ass to hurry up and figure your shit out.” 

“Okay but that’s different.” Clint objected and Bucky asked bluntly, “ _How_ is it different?” 

“Because I dunno if Tasha loves me.” the Omega’s eyes flickered, dimmed just a bit. “But if you get anymore heart eyed over Tony, you will actually explode. Couldn’t be less obvious if you tried.” 

“Uh-huh. And you’re a fuckin’ idiot if you don’t think Tasha loves you.” 

“That’s neither here nor there or anywhere else.” Clint shook his head. “We’re talking about you and Tony. He said he’d call you, but he hasn’t. It’s time for you to call _him_.” 

“And what if he’s being sorta evasive cos he’s tryna let me down easy?” Bucky challenged, and the Omega shrugged, “I doubt it, but if that’s the case then tell him you’d rather be cut off right away versus let down easy. Rip the bandaid off.” 

“Yeah, I guess.” Bucky kept working at the spokes, and after a minute asked, “Did you call Howard a _thundertwat_?” 

“Sure did.” Clint felt around for a grease rag and wiped off a smear on the bikes sparkly paint job. “Tash yelled it at someone the other day when we were driving, felt like an appropriate adjective to add to my repertoire.” 

“Real delicate flower, your Alpha.” 

“Oh yeah, just the softest rose.” 

The pair grinned at each other, and then Clint asked “So if you and Tony are done, can I have the bike?” he patted at the custom seat admiringly. “This looks like it would cradle my tushy just perfect.” 

“Step away from the bike, Clint.” 

"Yep. I'm going." 

********

“Okay so Ty is going away on some business trip-slash-sabbatical to help start up another branch of his company overseas.” Tony fussed at Bucky’s collar as they walked towards the conference hall. “This is his 'congratulations on your promotion' party even though he technically owns the company and therefore can’t actually be promoted? His dad likes the ceremonial pomp.” 

“Sure, Tony.” Bucky could hardly _breathe_ with Tony so close to him after a whole week of barely any communication. The call about tonight's event had come just that morning, short and to the point with Tony insisting Bucky wear his new clothes-- which of course reminded Bucky of what they’d done _last_ time he wore these clothes-- and a quick decision of where they were going to meet before the Omega had hung up. 

Bucky’s stomach was in knots, his heart in his throat because he couldn’t read the situation and it didn’t help that Tony was _everywhere_ tonight, flustered and barely meeting Bucky’s eyes, chattering a lot about nothing at all, and touching the Alpha constantly but not in any way that meant any _thing_. 

The huge double doors of the conference hall loomed ahead of them like upcoming _doom_ and Tony was off on some tangent about how he’d been busy this week and he was sure _Bucky_ had been busy this week and isn’t it funny how life seemed to get crazy just when you needed it to slow down and suddenly the Alpha couldn't wait another second to talk things through, another second to know what the hell had happened between their bike ride and today that had Tony acting so _skittish_.

" _Ooph_!” The Omega gasped a little when Bucky suddenly grabbed at his wrist and yanked him off to the side into a nearly curtained off alcove. “Bucky, what are you doing, what’s wrong? We're going to miss the announcement if we--”

“You haven’t hardly talked to me all week, Omega.” Bucky backed Tony towrds the cushioned window seat and sat him down carefully but firmly. “What’s going on? Is it something I said? Something I did?” 

And then softly, anxiously, “...is this about the other night? Is that— I mean, you’ve been real distant last few days, is it about the motorcycle ride and what else we did? Did I cross some sorta line?” 

“Oh Bucky, no. Of course not.”

“I waited for you to say yes, didn’t I?” the Alpha’s pale eyes dimmed in distress. “I sure thought I stopped to check in with you but maybe I got carried away and didn't?”

“N-No, it wasn't that.”

“Well please tell me what it is.” Bucky cleared his throat when it closed up over the threat of almost tears, his heart _breaking_ in his chest as he tried to understand why Tony couldn't meet his eyes. “M’just tryna figure out what I did wrong that you left without saying anything. You left and you said you'd call, but you didn't. And now you're holdin' back from me and talkin' all sortsa bullshit and I don't like it, sweetheart. I don't--"

The Alpha blew out a deep breath. “Tell me what I did wrong, Tony. Tell me so I can fix it. Let me _fix it_.”

“Alpha, you didn’t do anything wrong.” Tony was wearing glittered lipstick tonight and it sparkled in the low lights, drawing Bucky’s gaze helplessly, hungrily to his mouth for a long moment.

“Oh wow, I love when you look at me like that.” the Omega whispered and Bucky almost sounded pained when he answered, “I love when you look at me a _nytime_ , babydoll. So tell me what I did wrong so we can get back to you battin’ those pretty eyelashes at me, huh?” 

“You didn’t do anything wrong.” Tony repeated. “You were wonderful, everything about the entire night last week was _wonderful_.”

And then with a little smirk and a sweetly devilish blush, “I have no regrets, not even about you ruining my new, three hundred dollar shorts.”

“Three hundred dollar--” Bucky wheezed and nearly strangled on his own tongue. “Tony! You _told_ me to rip them!” 

“I know I did and I meant every word.” Tony glanced away and took a deep breath, trying to find his courage again. “Look Bucky, I know we need to talk and I’m sorry for not saying much this week. I just-- we need--” 

He closed his eyes in frustration, and Bucky’s heart sank clear to his toes. “...Tony?” 

“I’m sorry.” the Omega shook his head. “This is harder than I thought it would be, sorry. It’s um-- this has been really fun, Bucky. What we’re doing has been really fun and I think we more than accomplished my goal of convincing Ty I had moved on from him.” 

“Yeah?” 

“But it’s getting really hard to keep the lie up.” Tony dug his fangs into his bottom lip and inhaled shakily. “I can’t do it anymore. I can’t lie anymore.” 

“So stop lying.” Bucky said bluntly, maybe a tad harsher than he meant to but _damn it_ the suspense of the moment was killing him. “There’s a real easy fix to that, sugar. Just stop lying about it. About us.”

Tony’s smile was hesitant. “...That’s what I plan to do.”

 _Oh no_. “Holy shit.” The Alpha swallowed hard, the little bit of hope he’d felt about tonight abruptly dashed. “Tony, are you breaking up with me?

“Bucky, just listen.” Tony mentally kicked himself because he was doing this _wrong_ , even after all the times he’d practiced in front of the mirror, even after all the times he wrote his speech out and read it over and over. “Alpha, I just need to say a few things--”

“You aren’t breaking up with me.” Bucky interrupted. “No way.” 

“Let me finish so I can tell you why--” 

“You’re not breaking up with me.” Bucky repeated, and reached to grab Tony’s hands tight. “No. No way Omega. Listen, I’ve got every dollar you’ve ever paid me stashed away in my top drawer, alright? I haven’t spent a damn cent of it and I’ll give it all back to you so we can go back’ta square one and do this the right way. I’m not giving you up.” 

“Bucky. Oh, I-- I--” Tony's carefully rehearsed speech hadn’t prepared him for this much _vulnerability_ and he sat there in quiet shock as the Alpha kept talking. 

“You’re everythin’ I want, and a hundred more things I didn’t know I needed.” Bucky turned the little Omega’s palm over and kissed it gently. “M’not letting you go, I’m gonna do whatever it takes to keep you, okay? I’ll wear cashmere, Tony. I’ll look up how to tie a damn tie. I’ll wear fancy ass pants and cufflinks and figure out what all those damn forks are for at those parties you drag me to, I swear I will.”

Tony breathed out an incredulous laugh and the Alpha kept rambling, “I’ll give up the leather jacket and get my tattoos painted over so I’m fuckin’ proper for all these events. I’ll call your Ma ‘Dame’ and I’ll try to--”

He hissed out an annoyed breath. “-- I’ll try’ta refrain from punching your Pop’s teeth in. I don’t care what I gotta do, Tony, just tell me and I’ll do it? I’ll do it. I’ll even--” 

“I’m not breaking up with you!” Tony finally burst out and Bucky’s mouth clicked shut with an audible pop. “Bucky, I’m not--” he squeezed at the Alpha’s fingers. “I’m not breaking up with you, that's actually the complete opposite of what I want to do. I've been trying to find the courage and the—the right words to tell you that I'm all done pretending and I just want to be _yours_.”

“You been trying to…” Bucky blinked a few times. “ _That's_ why you’ve been avoidin’ me for a week?! Cos you wanna be _mine_?!”

“I’m not good at this!” the Omega cried, flushing in embarrassment, bright eyed and _gorgeous_ in his shyness. “I was worried I’d mess up and say everything over a text message which isn’t romantic at all, so I kept our messages short and I practiced what I wanted to say in front of the mirror everyday!” 

Tony dug into his shoulder bag and pulled out a handful of index cards. “I even have _notes_ so I wouldn’t ruin this by saying the wrong thing but I get so flustered around you! And I missed you this week and there’s a bunch of things I want to tell you, but I’ve never told anyone I love them before so it’s nerve wracking and--” 

He stopped when Bucky _growled_. “B-Bucky?” 

“What did you just say?” The Alpha twined his fingers into Tony’s hair and used the leverage to drag the Omega in close, pushed their foreheads together and barely managed a hopeful, _terrified_ tone, “What did you just say?” 

“That I love you?” Tony whispered, and this time Bucky’s growl practically shook their seat. “And I’ve been trying to figure out how to ask you if you love me too or if-- if you were still just pretending.” 

“ _Pretending_?” 

Tony nodded against the Alpha’s forehead and Bucky forced out a slow breath, calming himself enough to speak without snarling. “I am a lot of things, babydoll. But I am a real shitty actor.”

“Oh--oh yeah?” 

“Ask anyone.” Bucky brushed their lips together just barely. “I uh-- I failed drama in school. Can't fake nothin’ to save my life, can’t even keep it together for practical jokes, Clint hates me cos I ruin all his pranks before they happen.” 

Tony laughed quietly, and Bucky muttered, “I can’t pretend worth shit. Was never pretending with you. Wouldn’t even know where to start. Don’t even know what word _means_ when it comes to you, Omega. I'm telling you the goddamn truth, Tony. I _love_ you.” 

“Oh thank god.” Tony crumpled a little and Bucky wrapped his left arm secure around the Omega’s waist. “I’m sorry I’ve been so awkward. I was worried you didn’t feel the same way--” 

The Alpha _snarled_ , then immediately apologized, “Sorry sweetheart, every time you say somethin’ like you don’t think I love ya, I get all growly. Can't help it.”

“I love when you get growly.” Tony confessed, and tossed away his bag so he could climb right into Bucky’s lap, push his nose into the Alpha’s throat and feel the steady, contented rumble. “And I love your leather jacket, don’t get rid of it. And please don’t paint over your tattoos. I’d never make you wear cashmere and you can call my Mama whatever you want okay? Just um-- just tell me you aren't pretending. One more time." 

" _I'm not pretending_." 

Tony purred, soft and sweet and _thrilled_ and the Alpha said it again, "Tony, I wasn't ever pretending. You and that twirly skirt slayed me right from the start." 

The Omega laughed quietly and Bucky leaned away just enough to look into his mate’s eyes. “You really had notes written out about this? Practiced in front of the mirror and everything? Didn’t talk to me for a week so you wouldn’t blurt it out too soon?” 

“Well.” There was the shyness again, that lethally sweet blush and little bit of a stammer, pretty fangs behind gorgeous lips when Tony smiled. “I--I just wanted to get it right. You’re the only one I’ll ever say 'I love you' to, Bucky. I wanted to do it right. I wanted to make sure the moment was perfect.”

“My mate, you could’a showed me your butt and invited the Bronco for a ride and I would’a thought _tha_ t was pretty perfect.” the Alpha decided and Tony tossed his head back and shouted with laughter. “Anyway you wanna say those words will always be perfect to me, but can I have th’note cards to frame up anyway? I wanna know what posh little speech you had ready for me.” 

“Did you just call me _mate_?” The Omega’s dark eyes brightened nearly gold with happiness when Bucky nodded real slow. “Can I call _you_ mate?” 

“Omega.” Bucky's eyes were already shifting red, the Alpha already licking over his fangs in sheer anticipation. “I sure wish you would.”

“Mate.” Tony whispered and then giggled out loud when the Alpha jerked like he’d been electrocuted. “You like it?” 

“Don’t ever call me anything else.” Bucky swore, and lunged forward to seal their mouths together. “I love you, Tony. Fuckin’ gone on you, ya hear? M’never letting you go.” 

“Promise?” Tony whispered, and Bucky whispered back, “Oh sure thing, sweet thing.” 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey look! We managed nearly 50k words of absolute plotless nonsense.   
> Holla for us!

_May 29th_

“So tonight is a museum gala to raise money for the arts, and since my library is _part_ of the arts, I have to make an appearance and pretend like I’m fundraising.” Tony propped his foot up on the step stool and rolled sheer tights up his legs, concentrating whole heartedly on the task like he didn’t know his Alpha was _drooling_ at him from the couch. “My trust fund dividends actually fully fund the library, but no one else needs to know that. It’s important to remind the wealthy to donate, and honestly the gala is worth attending anyway. The food is always excellent and something scandalous always happens. Librarians are so dramatic.”

The Omega's tunic only went to mid thigh, fitted and not quite sheer in a shade of stunning glacier blue and Tony smoothed it over his hips with a little hum, ignoring the punched out noise from his mate. “Then _afterwards_ I thought we could go get dessert somewhere fun? I don’t ever do much for my birthday, and I’d rather spend the majority of itt sharing ice cream with you than spending the entire evening with a bunch of rich people I can’t stand.”

The worlds fanciest leather jacket went over Tony’s shoulders, and Bucky hadn’t known _shoes_ could make him boner up in his jeans, but there he went anyway nearly popping a knot just watching his Omega bent over and fastening up knee high boots. 

“We only have to make an appearance.” Tony was saying as he pulled a pair of fingerless gloves on and Bucky tried really really fuckin’ hard to actually listen. “No more than an hour top, mkay?” 

It was the most posh biker look in the entire universe and cost more than the mortgage payment on his entire garage but the Alpha _loved_ it, loved when his little mate dressed up in some version of glamorous grunge so they could go riding.

Tony wasn’t even showing any skin tonight, not really. The tights were sheer and the tunic was thin but he was still covered from toes to chin. It was the accessories that really clinched the outfit, fingerless gloves and dark eyeliner against darker red lips that made the Omega looking preppy, prettily vicious and Bucky sure _felt_ vicious acting as a spectator to his favorite show of Tony getting dressed. 

“Come here, babydoll.” when he couldn’t stand it a split second more, the Alpha tipped his head back and wet his lips, flashed his fangs at his mate. “C’mere and sit comfy on my lap for a minute.”

“Judging by the state of your zipper, your lap looks too hard and _pokey_ to be comfy.” Tony replied pertly, nose in the air and little fangs on full, flirty display. “And I still need to go get my perfume. I got a new smell I think you'll like.”

“You know my favorite smell is you scentin' like fuckin' _horny_ when you're covered in me, sugar.” Bucky spread his knees wide and lifted one booted foot, let it drop with a thud onto the floor. “Over here on my lap, mate. _Now_.”

Tony's eyes flashed in beguiling defiance, but only because he knew his Alpha liked when he played tough and bratty and a little hard to get. _Really_ the Omega was already moving towards his mate, swaying his hips and hiking his tunic up around his thighs so it was out of the way when he straddled up over Bucky's lap and automatically tipped his head so the Alpha would mouth and nibble at his throat.

“ _Alpha_.” Tony had been right, Bucky's lap was hard and pokey but it was still comfy in the sort of way that had the Omega moaning quiet and settling firmer over the thick bulge, his core twinging in remembrance of the last time he'd been knotted. His legs shook a little when Bucky swept those big hands up the back of his thighs and over his ass, Tony's entrance still slick and sensitive from this morning when the Alpha had pinned him to the bed and ate _sloppy_ at his rim until Tony had finished with a scream.

“We should take the bike in.” Bucky squeezed at Tony's waist, rolled his hips up and ground into the warmth between Tony's legs. “Get lost for a little bit after the gala, maybe take our ice cream and eat it somewhere under the stars?”

“Mr. Barnes.” Tony sniffed playfully, too busy shivering over the burn of teeth at his pulse to even be faux offended. “Are you trying to get me bent over the handle bars of your bike again?” 

“Sugar, you offerin’ to assume the position?” Bucky challenged and Tony giggled into their next kiss, teasing at his Alpha’s tongue with the sharp points of his fangs. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.” 

“I love you.” Tony whispered when they parted and Bucky rumbled back, “I love you too, Omega. Can’t wait to put my mark on you, you know that? Gonna bite the _shit_ outta you, make sure everyone knows you’re _mine_.” 

“Already yours.” the Omega corrected immediately, and then with an adorably mischievous scrunch of his nose. “I’m gonna bite the shit outta you too.” 

“Oooh I love it when you talk dirty.” Bucky patted at Tony’s booty then motioned for the Omega to slide off his lap. “But first, I got you a little something for your birthday. It’s down in the shop and I think--” 

“ _PRESENTS_!” 

Tony was off his lap and gone like a shot so Bucky finished to the empty room, “--you’ll really like it. Put a lot of work into it. Think it’ll be perfect for you.” 

“Alpha! Hurry up!” the Omega bellowed up the stairs and Bucky grinned to himself, took his sweet time sauntering down the stairs so he could listen for the exact moment when his now _rarely_ shy mate found the present waiting for him.

“ _ALPHA_!” 

Tony was exactly where Bucky knew he would be, right smack in the middle of the garage staring at the little motorcycle he’d discovered months ago in the dusty corner of the shop.

Except instead of faded paint, now the bike boasted a beautiful candy apple red coat, instead of chipped racing stripes there was brilliant, sparkly gold flames. A brand new seat and custom handlebars fit just right to Tony’s reach and just -below the gas cap sat an interlocked _Alpha-Omega_ symbol Bucky had welded together from a repaired piece of the 1932 roadster grill. 

“Alpha.” Tony said again, softer this time, hands over his mouth and eyes wide in disbelief. “What…? What is this? What did you do? What did you _make_ me?”

“I know you had your heart set on going to this fancy gala tonight, but I figured we’d go in and get pizza for your birthday instead.” Bucky shoved his hands in his pockets and tried for nonchalance, tried to act casual like his heart wasn’t pounding out of his chest. “Good messy pizza, you know? The kind you like with all that cheese and the breadsticks that make ya moan all pretty? Then we can take our bikes up the mountain and chase the moon risin’ till we find a good place to pull over and watch the stars come out.”

“The bike is--” the Alpha cleared his throat. “-- well it's sorta a bonding present too. I don't wanna take away from your birthday at all, and I know it's an early bonding present since your heat isn't on for another few weeks, but I just couldn't wait to see you on it, baby. I thought givin' you somethin' I built myself, somethin' we can use to spend time together... I thought it was a good present?”

Bucky's voice trailed off uncertainly when Tony just kept _staring_. “Tony if you don't like it, just let me know. I'll figure something else out for a bonding present, I promise. I just thought--”

“You built this for me?” Tony whispered, and Bucky nodded slowly. “Picked out this shade of red cos I said I liked sparkly things? Gold because you like the glitter I use on my cheeks? A piece of the roadster-- the first car I ever got to work on ever, and the first car we worked on _together_ \-- you welded that onto the tank in an Alpha Omega bonding symbol?

“I--” Bucky licked over his fangs nervously. “Yeah. Yeah Tony, I sure did.”

“Bucky.” Tony ran to him, threw his arms around the Alpha’s neck and dragged him down for a long kiss, pressed tight into a strangling hug. “ _Alpha_. This is incredible. _You_ are incredible. I can’t believe you put this much thought into a present for me. For my birthday and for our bonding, it's perfect. You're _perfect.”_

There were surprised tears in the Omega’s eyes and Bucky cup Tony's chin and crooned quietly, “No no, none of that bright eyes. You’re a bonafide biker now. We wear leather and pound beer and don’t tear up over sparkly presents.” 

“The hell we don’t.” Tony sniffed, and stood up on his toes to give his mate a much gentler kiss. “I'll tear up over whatever sparkly present I want!”

And then after another long kiss, "Can I-- can I go sit on it?" 

“It’s yours, sugar.” Bucky dropped the keys into Tony’s palm and closed slim fingers over them. “Go on and get her started. Make her purr.”

Tony gave an excited little shriek and skipped back over to the bike, plopped down on the seat pert and pretty and pleased as hell and Bucky thought he’d actually _die_ when Tony leaned down to kiss the Alpha Omega symbol. 

“When we bond for real, we can get the date etched on there!” he called and his Omega squealed all over again. “You’re gonna kill me that noise, babydoll! Have mercy!” 

Tony called something back about _never_ having mercy if it meant Bucky got him presents like this and Bucky grinned so hard his cheeks nearly cracked. 

A cough to his side and the Alpha pivoted around to find Natasha and Clint watching with raised eyebrows and equally judgmental expressions. 

“What?” he asked defensively and Natasha shrugged out a casual, “Oh nothing. It’s just-- you _know_ you’re fucked, right? In a sort of embarrassingly obvious way?” 

“Leave me alone.” Bucky waved the other Alpha off and looked back at Tony still exclaiming over the color and lines of the bike. “I’ll be smitten if I want.” 

"Yeah!" Tony cried cheekily. "He'll be smitten if he wants!" 

Bucky laughed over at his mate and Clint elbowed Tasha, "How come you don't build _me_ bikes? I could get all cute and smitten for you like that.”

"Now what on earth would _you_ need a bike for?" Natasha's smile was sharp, all fangs and naked intent. "When it comes to you and I together, _I_ am the one doing all the riding, isn't that right?”

"Yeah." Clint looked pleased as hell. "Ain't _that_ the truth." 

********

They got pizza at Tony's new favorite place, ate the greasy, dripping slices with garlic sauce and marinade and way too many bread sticks. Then there was ice cream, sharing Tony's favorite flavor back and forth and kissing the cold treat from each others lips as they walked downtown beneath the lights and held hands as the sun went down.

The clouds were already glowing pink and purple when they got back to the garage and wheeled Tony's new bike out onto the road, and by the time Bucky made sure his mate remembered everything he'd learned at the lessons and made sure the bike was sat right and perfectly sized for the Omega, the same clouds were rolling dark purple and indigo blue and the moon was just starting to rise.”

“Go on, babydoll.” Bucky let Tony take the lead out into the hills, keeping a sharp eye out for each turn or potential hazard, listening to the sound of the Omega's laughter over the roar of the engines when they hit the open stretches and Tony could open up the throttle and really feel what his bike could do.

It was perfect, and Bucky couldn't think of anything more perfect than this sorta moment right here.

A few months ago a mate hadn't even been on Bucky's radar but now all the Alpha could think about was when Tony's next heat would come along, when he'd have an excuse to take his Omega out to one of the beautifully romantic heat hotels. They could lock them selves behind closed, scent blocking walls and he could lock Tony onto his knot and finally _finally_ put a mark on the Omega's perfect throat.

Bucky couldn't _wait_ , but for now, moments like this were pretty damn perfect too. 

Up at their favorite look out spot, the moon was rising silver over the valley and scattering shadows all over, and Tony slowed to a stop so he could stare out at the beauty for a minute while Bucky made it up to the look out too.

“Sure is pretty out here tonight, baby.” Bucky turned his bike off and leaned it to rest on the stand, shrugged out of his leather jacket and left it draped over the seat so he could shake his arms out and roll his shoulders. Tony had been hilariously _honest_ about exactly how much he liked Bucky's left arm and the way the tattoos looked against the silver, so the Alpha had just started wearing tank tops all the time and tonight Tony's eyes brightened in excitement when he saw the muscles on full display.

“Sure is... pretty.” Tony repeated, biting at his bottom lip coyly and being immediately rewarded with a rumble from his mate. “Want to stay for a little bit? Find something to do?” 

“ _Always_.”

The Omega giggled to himself, rocked his bike onto the kickstand but didn't turn the engine off, planted his feet on the ground and his hands on the gas tank and shot his Alpha a _look_ over his shoulder, back arched and booty wiggling as the rumble from Bucky turned into a full throated _growl_.

“C'mon, Alpha.” Tony teased breathlessly, squeezed at the throttle until the bike vibrated beneath him, propped his knee on the seat and leaned over the handlebars so he was on full display for his Alpha, hips up and head down and fangs flashing in a coaxing, hungry smile. “Come on, let's _stay_ for a little bit.”

“Horny Omega.” Bucky's pale eyes dipped red with immediate desire even as an adoring smile curled up around his fangs. “Fuckin' beautiful.”

“Horny Alpha.” Tony returned just as adoring. “You know you only planned a ride so I'd get up and present like this.”

“Fuck, I _do_ like it when you present for me.” Bucky dragged his right hand down Tony's back, quieted the Omega's appreciative whine by slipping silver fingers between Tony's lips and ordering him to “Suck, baby doll, get 'em good and wet so I can open you up.”

“Ohhhhhh.” Tony groaned around the Alpha's fingers, hollowed his cheeks and sucked hard at them, slid further into the submissive position on pure instinct and rubbed against Bucky's lap as his mate moved behind him to straddle the bike too.

“C'mere sugar, I want you like _this_ tonight.” Bucky took a moment to ogle the curve of Tony's ass before he reached to gently, _easily_ manhandle the little Omega around to face him, taking Tony's slight weight without even flinching and situating his mate back on the bike so Tony was propped up on the gas tank, fingers clutched round the handlebars and knees on either side of Bucky's waist. 

“Like this.” Bucky ran his hand up the underside of Tony's thigh and lifted one long leg up over his shoulder, fit tighter into the vee of Tony's hips and turned his head to mouth kisses along the sheer stockings and nuzzle at the sensitive skin around Tony's knee. “Yeah, baby right here. Got plenty of room for me right there, don’t’cha?”

“I got plenty of room for you right _here_.” Tony hooked his other leg around Bucky's waist and dragged himself closer into the Alpha, let his tunic ride up to his waist until there were only nylons between himself and his Alpha. He smiled, knowing and _pleased_ when Bucky made a desperate, hungry sort of noise at the sight of his mate wearing no skirt, no panties, just sheer, thin material already tenting over the Omega's cock and staining dark where the seam rubbed at Tony's entrance.

“ **Mine**.” The Alpha snarled, red eyed and fangs out, and Tony just mewled, whimpered, spread his legs and arched his back and gasped _yes_ as silver fingers tore at the thin material, spread over his leaking hole and then pushed inside.

“...Alpha!”

“I love the way you moan.” Bucky didn't let up with his fingers until his left hand was shining slick, until his mate was sweating and writhing and the tights were soaked and slippery wet on the bike seat. “Fuck, I love how you say my name, baby doll, love how you call me _Alpha._ Lemme hear you, c'mon.”

“ _Alpha_!”

“That's right, beauty.” the Alpha sat up and yanked at his pants, got himself free and stroked his dripping hand over his cock just once before lining the fat head up with his mate's center and shoving forward.

Tony rarely cursed, but he cursed now, dragged his fingers down Bucky's thighs and grabbed for his Alpha's hand as he was opened full and then fuller and then almost painfully pushed to his limit as his still tender insides stretched to accommodate his mate.

Bucky was big, he was so _big_ that sometimes Tony thought he could feel the hard set thrusts in the back of his throat but that didn't stop the Omega from bracing himself and hissing for more, canting his hips and taking Bucky deeper, further with each stroke until the bike started rocking on its stand and Bucky had to slow down so they didn't topple right over.

The Omega was sopping wet and begging for _more more more_ so Bucky didn't bother waiting to knot his mate, didn't stop long enough to make sure Tony finished at least before he was even close. Not tonight, not when the moon was bright and stars were shining in Tony's eyes, not when they were going to be bonded soon and Bucky would have decades to take his time with Tony and wring every drop of _everything_ from his mate.

Not tonight, not when Tony was half out of his mind with pleasure, vanilla and rose scent like a potent drug clouding up the Alpha's vision and racing his heart faster and faster until all Bucky knew was the taste of Tony on his tongue and the rippling, clenching heat wrapped around his cock and milking at his growing knot.

“I'm _coming_ \--!” Tony cried out to the empty sky, squeezed at the throttle hard and the bike _roared_ beneath him, sent him over the edge with a core vibrating rush and Bucky jerked forward, jerked deeper and locked up tight inside his mate until he was coming too, drawing blood from Tony's mouth when he bit down too hard, moaning into a messy kiss when Tony grabbed him tighter and bit him right back.

 _Mate_.

...there was soft kisses and low conversation afterwards, teasing nuzzles and adoring touches, and Bucky set up the locking mechanism in his arm so he could balance them and the bike against the guardrail with one hand, and hold his mate tight with the other.

“I love you.” Tony's leg was still up over Bucky's shoulder, tights ripped down to his knees and tunic stretched up at his waist. His lipstick was smeared, eyeliner smudged at the corner and the spray of glitter over his bonding spot had faded up his neck and dusted specks at Bucky's mouth. “My mate, I love you.”

“I love you too.” Bucky leaned down to capture a slow kiss and the sound of his mate purring in pure, sweet satisfaction, then sat back up to look at the Omega in awe.

“...What?” Tony turned a little shy when he caught his Alpha's gaze, flushing prettily and plucking uncertainly at the torn edges of his tights. “What are you staring at?”

“Just you, Bright Eyes.” the big, bad Alpha biker whispered.

“... _just you_.”


End file.
